Now You See Me, Soon You Won't
by Razzeeberry
Summary: Spat out from the bowels of humanity comes a mysterious assassin bred from hardship and cruelty. Tossed into the Kuroshitsuji universe to fend for herself, she's apprenticed to an ambiguous undertaker and yet manages to captivate our infamous demon butler. What is she to do as she attempts to find her way back home? /UTxOCxSebastian; follows manga, may incorporate movie/animae/
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

She was just about finished with her mission when life suddenly chose to make everything go possibly wrong. An assassin for hire, she was bred from a young age the ways of a murderer, and then some. Except, this wasn't your usual hit-and-run. An escapee of a Satanic cult originally intended to become a High Priestess with the help of her three older brothers - albeit not blood related - at five years old, she was picked up at the tender age of seven and forced to participate in an assassin training program in lieu of her brothers, given her traits, or so her Masteress assumed. Given she was the runt of the pack, she was given extra special training and forced to endure twice the amount of what the usual assassin would experience in a lifetime. She rose up the ranks, thanks to extensive training, and under the threat of her brother's safety, she insured her allegiance to the Assassin's Alliance, carrying out orders via missions assigned by her mentor and expected to carry them. In return, her brothers' lives remained untouched and her due pay relayed, despite her reluctance to accept blood money, but for the sake of a living, she saved up.

And so, enters our full fledged assassin, at just the cusp of adulthood at seventeen years old, a teenager born from hardship. Her name? Rachaelle Rosenthal, or preferably Rachel Rose. But as an assassin, she is known as Ruth, considered a prodigy for her skills and finesse. A pretty child, although life may not have favored her, her looks won her some favor, no matter how much of it was unwelcome, despite her dislike for her appearance. Pale silver moon eyes, alabaster skin, and straight waist-length raven hair, she stood at 5'7, tall for most young adults but with an aura of indifference and intimidation, her cold appearance staved off the majority men, and for good reason. She knew the price of beauty all too well, and not one to repeat past mistakes, she maintained distance within any relationship until the day one man managed to surpass her wall of thorns.

/

Tch. /Everything was going so well. What the hell happened?/ She looked behind her as she entered a forest, irritated beyond belief at the amount of reinforcements that arrived soon after she eliminated her target. The operation was running smoothly for a solo mission, and yet somehow, someone managed to call for backup. Swearing, she jumped up and took shelter amongst the shadows of the treetops, thinking of a strategy when she heard a rustling of leaves behind her. Using the commotion to draw her sword quietly, she drew it before her protectively until a shock of white hair appeared. /Zero./She frowned, eyes narrowed as she popped him in the back of the head with her scabbard, hearing a yelp of pain. "How many times do I have to tell you not to sneak up on me during a mission?! Do you want to get killed?!"

He looked up with a sheepish smile on his face, hands held up in mock surrender. "Hey, hey, just come to rescue my favorite person, relax~ Anyways, I heard about what happened. Apparently, Masteress sent me to assist you. But just a quick heads up, they're just as formidable as we are, so stay on your guard. From what I heard, there's two of them; one can manipulate time and the other can make himself invisible." His mood switch was sudden, but considering they were a tag team, she was accustomed to it by now.

She nodded, processing the information. "Fine, then, I'll be taking the time traveler. You just need to draw blood and track the scent from there, can't you?" The time traveler would be difficult, but if she could outsmart him, then she'd go for the kill. What she didn't know was the very outcome of the fight that would change her life.

He grinned. "But of course, Ruth. If you can manage to injure him with a gun shot, then I'll take over from there~" He withdrew, his dark uniform concealing him in the shadows, before pulling out several knives. "Ready?"

"Hmph, as ready as I'll ever be." This job didn't spare any failures, so carelessness was off the agenda. Reaching into her black coat, she grasped her kunai, which she could attach by either chain or transparent string, before checking her ammo in her gun. Then, she stood up on the branch, putting away everything but her sword. Silver half-moons peered out from the branches as they locked onto the two wandering targets. "Let's go."

Both assassins dropped from the tree, Ruth quickly pulling out her gun and shooting Zero's target in the arm to give him a headstart while her target was distracted so he could have a scent to follow. He'd always had an obsession with blood, which didn't help with his sharp nose. His target grunted, trying to return the favor but failing as Zero diverted his target, and as expected, he turned invisible, hot on his trail. Now, it was only her and the time traveler.

A chuckle. "Well planned; as expected of an assassin your caliber, /Ruth/." The target was a female, dressed in a baggy cloak. Shadows enshrouded her face, but that mattered not to Ruth. All she knew was to keep in mind that baggy clothing meant hidden weapons. She blinked in response, a neutral mask on to conceal all and any emotions. She knew the target but shared no familiarity, however, her popularity was no surprise.

"I don't recall ever meeting you." A low monotonous tone which held a sliver of suspicion.

"Oh, no, simply a fan." Her target smirked. "You must be wondering what happens now, what weapons I must be hiding. Well, you see, with time on my side, I don't have to worry about that one bit. Just a knife will suffice." Suddenly, the target pulled out an Albert, attached to a chain which she swung rapidly, and before Ruth knew it, there was a cut on her arm, her waist, and her back.

"Tch." She swung her sword, barely managing to knick the cloth of the time traveler's cloak. The cuts were semi-deep, making it enough to hurt when she moved although she ignored the pain, but not enough to worry about bleeding to death. /But if I sustain enough of these, then it wouldn't matter in any way./ She grit her teeth as the target guffawed.

More attacks inflicted more wounds until it almost seemed that Ruth had bathed in her blood. Slivers of red slithered down her lightly soaked shirt and pants, but she barely acknowledged the pain, taking the brunt of the beatings silently as she defended as best as she could.

"Oh come now, you have to do better than that~" The time traveler tauntingly skipped a circle around Ruth, just barely out of reach, but enough reach for the katana to graze her. However, the assassin had something else in mind. She disappeared quickly, the time traveler gasping as she vainly attempted to locate Ruth's location only to cry out at the unforeseen attack as the sword cleanly sliced off the arm holding the Albert. Inhaling strangled breaths, she gripped her arm tightly to stave off the blood flow and looked up in panic to see Ruth nonchalantly holding up her trump weapon.

"Looking for this?" The Albert dangled precariously from her bloodied fingertips as the moonlight reflected off it's brass finish and flashed off the previous owner's face, igniting her fear. Although it may have seemed that Ruth had transported, to be honest, she only moved faster than the eye could see, thanks to her inhuman nature that she activated. Narrowing her silver eyes into slits, she dropped the blood-stained watch onto the ground, summoning her dark essence into her sword. "I think it's about time we rid ourselves of this, don't you think?" Raising her sword high, the moon only enhanced the inhuman glow of her cold silver eyes as she readied the blow.

"No! Wait! You can't destroy it or else-"

But her pleads fell on deaf ears as the blade struck the glass of the watch, and suddenly, time seemed to stop. And before she knew it, she was being surrounded by reels like one would see from old movies, and they enshrouded her, swirling around her in a dizzying blur until she heard the faint call of her name from her companion before complete darkness consumed her vision.


	2. Chapter 2

/AN: So, in case you weren't aware, this may be a pit of a parallel to my first story. Honestly, this is supposed to be the improved version, but I've yet to "finish" it since I still have the option to continue it. Anyhow, this already got 11 views, so that's a good thing. And, in case anyone is confused, /text/ are supposed to be in italics. I didn't realize that the format wasn't copied, so my apologies for that. But without further ado, I bring you the next chapter of NYSMSYW./

Special Note: the profile image on the story is the closest that I see Rachel in my mind. She looks a bit older, but it works just as well.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroshitsuji nor will I ever but my own ideas and characters introduced in this story.

Chapter 2  
"Ughh, what the hell…" She blearily opened her eyes only to be confronted with pitch darkness. She frowned, shifting a bit. She felt confined, and although it hurt like hell to even lift a finger, she could tell she was in some kind of container. Then she suddenly realize that the only time you would ever be confined was if you were in a coffin… _buried_ underground. She groaned aloud, "Oh, for fuck's sake, tell me I haven't been buried alive!"

At that moment, a high pitched giggle pierced the silence and almost made her jump. "Hi hi hi~ Seems a guest has arisen from the dead…"

She mentally cursed herself for her carelessness. Despite the fact that she hasn't been alone all along, it was comforting to know she was still among the land of the living. _Compared to being underground, I can handle coffin confinement._ Despite it taking some extra effort on her part, she managed to push the lid up with a grunt. Only when she tried to push herself up did she feel the stretch of stitches along her wounds. _Someone took the time to stitch my wounds?_ The momentary shock had her forget about the other occupant of the building they were currently in, and a mortuary she could safely guess, until the clack of a heel sounded on the floor. Her head snapped to the sound as she narrowed her eyes, senses instantly heightened to assess the potential friend or foe. Her gaze settled on a shadowed figure, tall albeit slouched, but slim as well, but a male, nonetheless. "Who's there?" Her posture stiffened and she stifled a wince of pain but scowled at the giggling reply.

"My, my, seems we've landed ourselves in a bit of a scuffle, hmm?~ Hi hi hi…" The mysterious figure skirted around the edges of the light provided by the lit candles, giggling every so often. Her silver eyes traced his movements, but once he trailed past her line of sight, she began to panic, but remained stoic. She was already weak, he didn't have to know more. "You wouldn't mind answering some question, now, do you?~" His sweeping voice which sounded like he had to restrain himself from laughing appeared behind her, but a bit close for comfort, and she stiffened, uncomfortable that she couldn't see him nor what he was up to.

"That depends on the type you ask," she replied tersely. She had to be careful not to reveal too much, but at the same time, she was indebted to this man who may or may not have saved her life. It wasn't a position she was comfortable with, but if she eventually had to kill him, then so be it. So long as he didn't rat her out, she was fine with him going along his business.

A flash of silver and her sword was drawn before her, its blade under her chin. She stilled as the stranger giggled low under his breath, amused. "Hi hi hi, so she has spitfire~ But, as you may know, you aren't in the position to deny my curiosity since I can just as easily throw you out as I saved you, and we wouldn't want that, now do we?" He snickered, having effectively cornered her.

She glowered, but at least he confirmed her suspicion. "Tch, fine, ask away, then." Taking care not to touch the sword, she fought the urge to slap away the hand that petted her head.

"Good girl," he cooed, in a sing-song tone. "Then, mind telling me what a girl like you is doing playing around with /this/? Surely a lady of your stature should know not to play with such dangerous things or else she gets _hurt_." He tilted the blade towards her to emphasize his point, a high-pitched giggle

Her eyebrow twitched. _He's definitely mocking me._ Closing her eyes, she straightened, taking care not to nick her skin on the blade and mustered her dignity before turning her head to where she thought he was and spoke, indignant. "My job demands that I be able to defend myself, hence the weapons." She decided to make her occupation seem like a job, making it as vague as possible.

"I see, and what of these?~" She saw a clawed hand with overgrown black fingernails gesture to the right, and there she saw the rest of her belongings laid out neatly; her gun, kunai, along with her wallet and ID cards.

She grimaced faintly, slightly bothered that he knew about her, but she couldn't blame him for his wariness. He was taking in an armed stranger who, no doubt, had no problem utilizing the tools she owned, and hence his interrogation. _I, personally, would've done the same, and probably not as nicely._ "Backup." Even she knew that arrogance meant certain death on the battlefield.

Her short but direct response must've appeased him since the blade lowered an inch as he chuckled. "Rightly so for you to think ahead~ Smart girl, hi hi~" The blade disappeared from sight and Ruth felt a stab of panic as she fleetingly wondered if he was going to kill her only to hear him sheath it and walk past her. He turned as he cocked his head, grinning widely, white teeth flashing.

The sight of him had her freezing in place. _Don't tell me…_  
But what was in front of her, there's no denying; a black top hat complete with a liripipe, mourning robes, a belt of charms around his waist and the grey scarf slung over his left shoulder and tied at his hip, the waist length silvery white, silky hair and the bangs, the diagonal scar partly hidden that ended at his right jaw - every minute detail couldn't deny the reality she was now in. _The Undertaker?_ "Well, now, I believe it's past time for introductions~" He wandered to the middle where she could give him her undivided attention and bowed gracefully as he introduced himself, although he had no need since she already knew he was. "My name is the Undertaker, and this is my humble abode, hi hi~ You are welcome to stay here for as long as you need given your current condition, but we can work out the payment later on when needed, so if I may know the lady's name?~" He straightened, leveling a smirk on her.

She pursed her lips, wary of him despite being her savior. But, there was no getting around it. Until she could fend for herself, she'd have to rely on him for a while longer, no doubt wounding her pride the extent of her vulnerability and weakness. Looking up at him, she narrowed her blank silver eyes at him, disclosing no emotion as his grin curled at the ends with growing interest. "The name's Rachel."

"Hi hi, very charmed, Miss Rachel, charmed indeed~"

02/26/2018


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: And so the long-awaited chapter awaits. I feel slightly guilty for making any readers wait for so long. Tbh, I'm working ahead (chap 5, actually) just so that I have backup. The other story is all up in smoke for now, but I'm definitely continuing this. Anyhow, I'll have you get on with the chapter already. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroshitsuji, nor will I ever. Everything seen not included in Kuroshitsuji are my ideas and characters alone.

Chapter 3  
"Now then, just a few more questions for you before we situate you, lodgings and all~ What job requires you to go so far as to procure a sword for protection? After all, hi hi, it's rather uncommon for a woman to play with swords~" He giggled into his sleeve, as if laughing at a joke she wasn't privy to, but no matter. She didn't care for his opinion, much less anyone's, if it meant her survival.

"If I told you, I would have to kill you. As for my weapon of choice, it's simply a matter of preference to be able to attack at close range." She straightened, narrowing her eyes at him, fake pride and all despite her weak state. Of course, knowing who he was, she stood no chance against him. However, he couldn't know that so she utilized false pride to portray ignorance, which he, no doubt, found amusing, thinking that she was unaware of him being a reaper.

"Would you, now? Hi hi hi!" He grinned at her, bemused, just as she thought he would. "My, quite the ungrateful one, aren't you?~ After all, I did save your life, all I ask is a little cooperation~" The lips curled darkly at the unvoiced threat that she could sense more than feel, and she decided to play her cards cautiously.

"I'm saying this for your own safety. To be honest, you're better off not associating with me at all. Your actions to save my life haven't gone unrecognized, so you have my services to whatever end you see fit, _so long_ as they are within reason." She disliked being known for ingratitude, not that she cared, but it was an offense to her character. She in no way suggested any contempt for his efforts, therefore he had no reason for that assumption.

He tilted his head curiously. "Your services?" He thought for a moment before grinning deviously. "Undress for me, then~"

She paused for a moment, taking a moment to let his words sink in before reacting with a jerk, scowling at him as her eyebrows shot to her hairline, eyes wide with disbelief. " _Excuse me?!_ The hell do you think you are to order me around like that!" She bristled in anger, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

His grin widened, bony fingers steepled in front of his face as he sat on a coffin across from where she laid. "Who said it would be up to you? Don't you know what a pretty face like you do to men like me?~" His lecherous grin made her mouth drop in shock, and not soon after, cackling commenced. _His_ cackling to be precise. He held his stomach, even dropping to the floor as tears ran down his face from laughing so hard. "Bwahahaha! You should've seen your face! Hi hi hi hiii~"

She deadpanned, slapping a hand over her face as embarrassment washed over her from reacting so strongly. She forgot one crucial fact about him: his terrible inclination to pranks and "good" jokes. Her eyebrow ticked in annoyance as she internally groaned, before snapping, "Whatever, just state your terms before I lose interest."

"Tee hee hee!~ Oh come now, m'dear, let's not be hasty. Just needed to lighten the mood a bit~ The seriousness was starting to kill me~" He snickered away as he got up and she rolled her eyes. _Nice to know._

"Now then, about that, why not work for me? An old man like myself can use some help around the house~" He giggled like a little kid, eager to open a present as he swayed from side to side with a smile on his face.

She frowned at him, trying to see if he was up to something until he tilted his head at her, much like a dog would when it questioned its owner innocently what they were thinking. "Didn't you hear me earlier? You're endangering yourself by just being around me."

He smirked. "Isn't that what you would be here for?~"

 _Was he hiring me to be his personal bodyguard?_ What she knew of him so far, he shouldn't require any protection, but then again, it could just be him being cryptic with his intentions. She mulled it over before coming to the same conclusion. "Ok, so then I'll just find some place to stay. When am I supposed to begin?"

"Oh no, no." He waved a clawed hand dismissively, as if waving away unneeded worries. "No need for that, you'll be staying here; I've far more rooms than an old man needs. And think of it as an apprenticeship~ As soon as you're ready to move around without much trouble, you'll begin shadowing, and soon after, assisting me with duties. Until then, work on your recovery and we can worry about the details later~"

Her mouth quirked slightly. "And how can I trust you not to do anything within the period I'm unable to care for myself?" His previous comment about her beauty unnerved her after all, although she knew of his character to be above such actions, one can never be too sure.

He smirked rather cynically at her. "Surely, by now, you know that I could've anything to you while you were unconscious?~" He giggled eerily before getting up and approaching her, glancing at her belongings. "Now then, so long as your business doesn't interfere with mine, I don't see any reason for me to tell you what to do. As for your room, I suppose I'll have to take you there, fu fu~" He lifted her out of the coffin she currently resided in effortlessly for an old man, making her lift an eyebrow and scramble for purchase at his robes to which he snickered at.

She scowled at him, leaning away a little. "What?" She bit out, irritated at his closeness. It wasn't because of his creepiness that his usual customers felt around him, but the intimacy in general that made her uncomfortable.

He grinned, leaning forward as much as possible without dropping her. "Do I make you uncomfortable, little one?~ Hi hi hi!"

She leveled a cool glare on him. "It's the closeness that bothers me, not you."

He smirked. "All the same, deary, simply put your arms around my neck to make it easier for both of us."

She sighed, relenting albeit reluctantly, encircling his neck with her arms but loosely. The stitches on her arms tugged slightly at the movement and she had to be careful not to break them or else she'd have to have him redo them. The underlying strength in his arms as he held her patiently hinted at his true nature, to which she already knew of, and the deceptive warmth radiating from him didn't help much. But she wasn't one to fuss, though.

As he carried her out through the back door, she could feel the warmth permeating through her clothing, and looking down, she realized she was in a different set of clothing. She blinked in surprise to see she was dressed in a simple white gown, similar to one for sleeping and looked to him. "You changed my clothes?"

"Well, now, unless you'd have liked to rest in blood-soaked clothing, I took the liberty of undressing you so I can wash them. They should be drying now, hi hi~" His tone suggested like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Hm." She sounded so far off that it made him look down in quiet interest. She looked as if she didn't expect anyone to care enough about her to even worry about her, much less her current state. "Well, thanks, then."

He chuckled. "Now now, don't get all soft on me, my dear~ I thought you didn't trust me? Fu fu~"

Her temper flared just as quick, annoyed but not enough to lose her composure. "Who said I was? I'm just being courteous." Her eyebrow ticked as she cooly replied while he snickered.

"Now then, this is the room you'll be staying in." He opened the door using one hand and had adjusted her weight to balance her with one arm, revealing a pretty spare bedroom. All it contained was a bed, a chair, desk, and a cabinet for her clothes, well the ones currently drying now. He approached the bed, laying her down carefully before standing up. "Now, about those stitches~" He disappeared to fetch medical supplies, she presumed as she carefully sat up on the bed and looked around.

She thought about the future. _What's going to happen now that I'm here?_ Thinking back, she was surprised he didn't plan on throwing her out after patching her up, moreover after she'd be healed up. Instead he offered her an apprenticeship, a place to stay… It made her wonder what he was up to, but decided she would deal with it later. All that mattered was recovering as soon as possible and then finding a way back to where she truly belonged. Until then, she'd wait and see what happened.

Amongst her musings, his step alerted her of his presence and she looked to see him carrying a bottle of liquid and some kind of small container. He laid them on the bed next to her and snickered. "Now, although this may sound inappropriate, I'll have to ask you to undress for me to check on the progress of your healing. Wouldn't do for them to get infected~"

She blinked before shrugging. She was still wearing bra, surprisingly, so it shouldn't be a problem with how much it exposed her skin. Even if he were up to something, she could still use her bare fists if need be. "It's fine, just do what you will." Undressing until her upper half was exposed, her toned but slim body was exposed, her ribs somewhat noticeable, but her medium-sized breasts left little to the imagination with how modern undergarments clung to her shape.

What amused him most was how little to no embarrassment she possessed with the display she made. He wouldn't deny that she was attractive, so much so that it was on par to a demon's, but he wondered why she seemed to consist of little to no modesty. "Shouldn't this bother you? After all, you're alone in a room with a grown man~" He tittered as he checked her stitches, murmuring approvingly at how well they'd stayed together.

"This is for medical purposes, is it not? Therefore, I see no reason to make such a big deal out of it, so long as nothing drastic occurs." She spared him an annoyed glance before looking away with a blank, almost bored, and detached face. She could hear him opening a bottle and using a cloth, soaking its contents before pressing it to her stitches to clean them. Hydrogen peroxide; made sense if the stitches were to be kept as clean as possible so it wasn't infected while they kept the wounds shut. Despite the sting, her face gave away nothing.

He grinned at her reply. _Quite the strong-minded one, eh~_ He giggled as he finished up cleaning them before applying a cream, feeling her body relax against the relief but shiver at the cold sensation, or maybe from his nails whenever they lightly trailed against her skin randomly. "Hi hi, all done~ Now, take care not to mess them up or else I'll have to redo them again~" He watched her nod in acknowledgement as she redressed before gathering his supplies. "Very well then, unless you have anymore questions, I'll get started preparing a late supper for us. Cookie?~" He held a bone-shaped biscuit in front of her, and only God knows where hid it, but as her stomach grumbled, she decided that now wasn't the time to be picky.

"Thanks," she mumbled, biting into it before quickly looking up. "Oh, and about earlier, thanks for not throwing me out after what happened." She looked awkward, which looked strangely cute for her but all he did was chuckle and wave dismissively.

"Think nothing of it, dear~ A lonely old man like me needs company once in a while, ne?~" He giggled as he left, closing the door softly. To be honest, throwing her out was never part of the plan to begin with because he already knew there was something unusual with the girl under her care. He grinned, stalking to the kitchen to prepare their supper. Something very unusual about her, indeed, and he was going to found out why.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Well, that's rather embarrassing. Kudos to ManawaSasa for letting me know. Hopefully this update is much more readable. I don't how that happened but let's hope that it won't happen again.

Previous A/N: Took a road trip which lasted around two weeks but I had a great epiphany for the story. Before, I was struggling on whether or not to make my OC appear before the Phantomhive manor attack or after plus the complications that came along with it (e.g. telling Undertaker or the Phantomhives beforehand or not/their reactions on whether she did or not) until this great idea popped into my head. I'm super excited to write it but I'm keeping it a surprise for you all. Therefore, my story should be smoother within the next few chapters. Plus, for chapter 6, I'm making it first pov to see how you all like it. If you prefer it, then I'll stick to it. Personally I think I'm better off writing that way.

Another thing, I've settled on monthly updates as my default. I'll attempt weekly for the summer, but as soon as college starts, it'll definitely slow down. So, keep that in mind. And with that out of the way, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroshitsuji nor will I ever. Everything read not included in Kuroshitsuji are my ideas and characters alone.

Chapter 4  
Although the cookie didn't help much to stave off her hunger, she settled for mulling over her thoughts as she waited. Her fingers wandered lightly over the stitches as she concentrated on forming her next move. _First off, we need to find out why I'm here, what I need to do to get back home, how to get back home, and where I am in the storyline of Kuroshitsuji._ Her eyebrows furrowed as she chewed at her sleeve in thought, a bad habit formed from childhood. _Do I need to change something or make something happen?_ The latter would be easier since she knew the plot rather well, but the former would be quite tricky given that it could mean anything. She frowned, shaking her head. _We'll have to wait and see, then._ All that mattered at the moment was where she was in the plot so she could plan her next move, although she hoped it hadn't started yet, but at the same time, wasn't too ahead of it either. Although the extra time could be used to research ways of getting out of here. Hmm…

Too lost in thought, she didn't notice the Undertaker slip in with a tray carrying a bowl of soup, bread, and a beaker of tea. He sat down on the spare chair, laying the tray on the desk. He cocked his head, grinning. "Dearie?~" No answer nor was there any indication given that she heard him so he leaned in close, cupping his chin in his hands as he rested his elbows on his knees and waited until she snapped out of it.

Said patient was still preoccupied in her thoughts when she looked to her side before stiffening in surprise, gasping sharply before glaring at him, unimpressed. "Really?"

He giggled. "You were so lost in thought, I was beginning to wonder if I lost my dreamer forever~"

She stared blankly at him. "Is that so." She looked away from him, already getting fed up with his playfulness.

He smirked, leaning back to fetch the tray containing her supper before setting it over her lap. She looked down, expressionless. "Take your time~ I'll be keeping you company while you eat up." He hunched over, propping his chin on the hands resting on his knees as he observed his young guest who promptly ignored him in favor of the food in front of her. Although she didn't act nor look like it, he knew she was young, but by how much was a mystery to him. As she nibbled on the bread as though testing if it were edible, he spoke up. "How old are you, m'dear?"

She glanced sideways at him nonchalantly. "Isn't it rude to ask someone their age?"

He grinned. "I took you for someone who isn't offset by such trivialities~"

Her stare lingered a while longer before she looked away. A challenge. She either risked exposing more of herself or looking like a brat, so she opted for cleverness. "I'm old enough to not have to burden someone with my wellbeing nor look for one." She closed her eyes, sighing exhaustedly through her nose before taking a sip of the soup. Her eyes opened in mild surprise to look down. Creamy chicken soup. _Not bad._ She ate another spoonful.

He chuckled at her eagerness. "It's good, no?" He watched her in silence. She was good. Managing to evade his question while answering it - quite the feat. "I find it quite ironic that you pride yourself on self-efficiency and yet, here you are under my care. Care to explain, hm?~"

She frowned, disappointed in having lacked the foresight to realize the situation as he so bluntly pointed out. She looked away, silent for a moment. "Just a technical difficulty." The snickering reply stung her pride, but there was nothing she could do. She begrudgingly looked back at him, but he did nothing except grin and gesture to the rapidly cooling meal before her. She shook her head, black bangs waving to and fro with the motion as she began eating again.

Despite how boring she looked, she was amusing with her reactions when incited. He was interested to poke fun at her and see what other reactions she made. Her cool face and indifferent aura was quite peculiar, and it reflected in the way she looked. Dull silver eyes, or he assumed both were since her right eye was hidden behind asymmetrical bangs that only exposed her left eye which currently faced him. Ebony locks tumbled down her back all the way to her waist, straight but slightly curled at the tips. Her bangs concealed a good half of the right side of her face, down her jaw where it mingled with the rest of her inky black locks. Yet, albeit how simple her appearance, her beauty was apparent when one paid close attention. She was slim in build, toned, unblemished and well-endowed, until they faced the scars below the neck. She would make an ideal wife, yet he believed her strong personality may conflict with England's social norms. He hid a grin behind a sleeved hand. She was interesting nonetheless, and he intended to make good use of whatever was in his possession.

Seeing as she was finishing up the meal, he patiently waited in the comfortable silence until all that was left was the beaker of tea in her hand. "Seeing as you're done, I don't see why we can't get started with our business arrangement."

She looked up from drinking before setting the beaker down and nodding. "Alright, state your terms then." She handed the tray over but held on to the beaker. It's warmth was comforting although the stranger didn't do anything out of place to warrant any suspicion, aside from his comments. But one could never be too careful.

He set the tray down on the desk once more before steepling his hands with a grin. "Very well, then, here's how it'll go~ I'll take you in as my apprentice, and you'll be my personal body guard. How's that sound?"

She rose an incredulous brow at him. "Body guard? For what reasons would an undertaker, much less you, need one?"

He grinned cryptically at her. "I have my reasons~ Hi hi hi… Now, as for apprenticeship, I'll teach you the ways of an undertaker, embalming, prepping the body, the works. You're welcome to stay for as long as you work to earn your keep. So, do we have ourselves a deal?~"

She mulled it over before deciding. It was quite the advantageous position since he was of the underworld and an informant to the Earl of Phantomhive. It would be a good way of keeping her distance yet manage to keep tabs on their progress in the plot line. "Alright, I accept the terms."

He grinned, clapping his hands gleefully and giggled. "Very good~ Given your current disposition, we'll give you time to recover. As soon as you can get around without much trouble, we'll have you start right away." He arose, gathering the tray from the desk before pausing and looking at her thoughtfully, tilted his head. "Which reminds me, will you be needing some diversion as you recover? I imagine it'll be quite boring to simply sit and wait while you wait~"

Ah, that. He brought up a good point. "Some books will do, thank you."

"That will do, yes.~ Very well, allow me a moment to fetch some for you." He turned around to leave but was stopped, this time by her.

"Wait, I'm not much of an expert on the inner workings of England's societal norms, but isn't it unacceptable to take in women for this kind of work?" She was curious behind his motives in taking her in, but she wasn't one to question when it chose to befall at it's most unexpected moments. However, he also had a reputation to maintain as an undertaker, and that she felt she ought to preserve in return for his good graces.

He grinned, chuckling at her. "I'm sure ole England has more to worry about than the business of a simple undertaker~" He giggled eerily before mockingly bowing as graceful as one could manage with their hands occupied with the tray. "Well, if you'll excuse me, then, my dear apprentice~" He slipped out and closed the door softly, grin widening as he approached the kitchen. How fortunate he was to stumble across a rare discovery, and quite the supernatural one at that. No matter how subtle, she simply just wasn't normal.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: As promised, I'm sticking to monthly updates, weekly if possible, and since it's July, why not? Lol. Anyhow, our infamous Earl arrives and this is where the story takes a turn. Just a reminder, next chapter is in first pov.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroshitsuji, nor will I ever. Everything read not included in Kuroshitsuji are my ideas and characters alone.

Chapter 5  
The books Undertaker brought her ranged in genre from medical knowledge to prep her as an apprentice to poetry and fiction. Fortunately for her, she had prior knowledge of the human body thanks to her specialized education in healthcare for high school so she didn't need to worry so much about it. She skimmed some pages, other times reading the few that caught her eye. However, thanks to modern technology, she could already tell what facts had yet to be proven wrong given she'd traveled back in time. She was aware, but not by how much. She focused more on the books that had to do with his profession as a mortician such as embalming, prepping the body, etc. Poetry, she wasn't much a fan of but she kept it for free time anyway. As such, that's how she spent her few days in recovery, reading until she felt up for moving around. Of course, she couldn't do anything strenuous, but she could at least shadow him.

Undertaker, for the most part, kept up his daily visits to check on her progress. He was delighted to know about her prior exposure to human anatomy so, being the bastard he was, piled her with more books. Otherwise, he supplied her daily meals and conversation, occasionally helping her dress due to the stitches. And speaking of the devil, said owner poked his head around the door he quietly opened. "Feeling better, are we?~" Taking another step, he fully entered the room.

She looked up, a medical book on her lap before returning to the page she left off. "Mm." Her responses were usually short, but he'd learned quickly that it was simply her nature to be astute and direct, sometimes to the point of rudeness although it was unintentional.

He grinned and she inwardly cringed, expecting nothing good in the next few moments. "If you're feeling up to it, you may join me as I tend to my next guest~ I'll have a tailor come by to make you some clothes sometime tomorrow."

She nodded, closing the book before getting up. He'd removed the stitches by the second day given her regeneration and allowed her to move around a bit. Today shouldn't be too hard. Or so she hoped. She followed him out of the room, entering the shop area where he usually worked and sat on a coffin. "I didn't miss anything, did I?"

"Hi hi~ nothing to trouble yourself over but a couple of new guests~" He walked over to a fresh corpse laying on his work table whom he sat up and grabbed one of its hands, waving it at her. He giggled at her unimpressed stare before laying it down. "Poor Mr. Durby here got ran over them carriages~ Seems that people have their heads in the clouds nowadays. Well, can't blame 'em since London's so gloomy all the time~" he sighed dramatically before perking up again and grinning at her. "Lucky I have a spot of sunshine to keep me going!" He giggled as she twitched before turning back to his guest. He picked up a set of makeup to apply over the bruises as Rachel got up and wandered around the shop.

She traipsed around coffins to the shelves with glass containers holding various body parts. She picked up a beaker holding an eyeball floating in liquid in it, studying it in silence before placing it back. She noticed Undertaker look up bemused at how unaffected she was with gore in general but she ignored him as usual. She glanced outside before absentmindedly asking, "By the way, what's the date today?"

He looked up, humming before looking back at his guest. "Let's see now, fifteenth of August, 1885. That sounds 'bout right~" he nodded in satisfaction, his cockney accent giving him a childish air before looking at his assistant's shocked face. "What's the matter, m'dear?"

Rachel blinked, still processing the information. /Eighteen eighty-five?! Kuroshitsuji officially starts in 1888, right?/ She looked away as he tilted his head, holding her chin in thought. She pulled out her phone, scrolling through her photos until she came across the timeline pic of the Kuroshitsuji storyline, looking through the dates. /So then just before the attack on Phantomhive manor, then. That's a lot of time./ Her pale forehead creased in thought before she looked to the side to see silver bangs and a wide grin. She was so lost in thought that she hadn't heard him creep up behind her and rest his chin on her shoulder.

He giggled and unashamedly asked, "Whatcha lookin at?"

Thinking fast, she turned it off and stuffed it in her pocket. "Nothing, just checking." She looked away, frowning a bit. The accident of Madame Red's husband still remained unknown so she had yet to know if it had passed or not, but that fortunately wasn't a major concern for her. "So three years until then…"

The Undertaker's chin dug into her shoulder as he spoke. "Three years til what, love?"

She turned to look at him, wondering how to reply until the door to his shop opened accompanied with the ring of the bell attached at the top, announcing the arrival of a potential customer, only it wasn't.

"Hi hi, Lord Phantomhive~ Why, isn't it a surprise for you to drop in so suddenly! To what do I owe the pleasure?~" The Undertaker hadn't moved an inch but instead placed his sleeved hands on her shoulders and moved his chin to the top of her head.

"Undertaker, good evening. Apologies for the abrupt arrival, but business arose as per usual and I've come seeking information." The Earl, Vincent Phantomhive to be precise, stepped in, removing his hat before taking a look at Undertaker's latest addition. "And who's this young lady?" He looked quite bemused at the display, somewhat similar to a puppy hanging off its owner when, in reality, it was quite the opposite.

She sighed, unable to shrug off Undertaker successfully despite her attempts. "Rachel Rose, Undertaker's newest assistant; at your service, my Lord." She kept a blank face, making it clear she wasn't enjoying the torture. The three of them kind of stood around awkwardly - or at least she was, the other two were amused, as if waiting for something to happen - so deciding to break the silence, she added, "I'll just go and make some tea now."

The Earl raised a hand to stop her. "No need, I just wanted to drop by quickly and invite you two to my manor. I have matters to discuss with the Undertaker, after all. Perhaps now would also be the opportunity to introduce you to the family, as well?"

She realized he was leaving the invitation open to her, and since decorum demanded it would be impolite to refuse, she glanced at Undertaker for confirmation with which he responded with a cryptic grin before accepting. "But of course."

The Earl smiled, delighted before putting on his hat again and opening the door, gesturing to the carriage. "Right this way, then. I'll hail a carriage later on to send you both back."

"Hi hi~ Much obliged, m'lord." The Undertaker's chin dug into her scalp as he giggled. "Come, m'dear, your carriage awaits!~" He started to tug her along like an impatient child.

She twitched before freezing and looking down at her clothes. All she had on were her clothes from her own world; a pair of black jeans, a light coat, a white button-up with a black vest, her fedora and black shoes. "Wait, aren't my clothes a bit improper for women of this era?"

Undertaker glanced quickly at her before shrugging. "Nothing wrong on my part~ M'lord?"

The Earl's head was cocked to the side, thoughtful before brightening. "Ah, let's say a traveler perhaps? That oughta ease some suspicion although you may want to put up your hair. Societal norms and all that." He waved a hand dismissively.

She pulled a face as she swept her mid-length hair into a bun with ease. "That's your concern? You Englishmen are odd for sure. But I can agree on the traveler part since I am from America. Hopefully after today we can get a tailor to come by." She looked pointedly at Undertaker as they walked out of his shop and into the carriage. She and Undertaker sat facing backwards given their status as commoners while the Earl faced forwards. Propriety was a pain in the ass, but what could she do?

Undertaker giggled per usual. "Not a problem at all, m'dear~"

She hummed in content before staring out the window as the men began to converse. Rachel was caught up with enjoying the scenery as the bustling city gave way to rolling green land and forests while the ride progressed. A few minutes later, she was startled at the sudden silence before looking back and noticing both of them were staring at her in amusement. Again. With a careful blank face she looked back at each of them, forcing down her unease. "What?"

The Earl came first. "Enjoying yourself?"

She rose an eyebrow. "…It's nice." She didn't know what to expect from these people which left her wary.

He smiled. "That's good to hear. From what Undertaker tells me, you don't come from here. Where from America do you specifically hail from, my lady?"

She panicked internally as she chanced a glance at the Undertaker before looking back at the Earl. They never took the chance to discuss what not to say nor discuss where she came from, and from the looks of it, she was on her own. The asshole. "Texas, which is the state."

"Ah, and how did you come to work for Undertaker?" He tilted his head with an innocent smile.

"Well, about that, you see-"

"I found her on the streets of London, you see~" the Undertaker interjected, grinning widely. "Quite roughed up and dressed rather unusually for a lady of these times, so I took her in, patched her up, and here she is! Good as new~" He patted her head familiarly. "Then we set up an apprenticeship and my bodyguard, too! Hi hi~"

She swatted his hand away, annoyed. "Is it safe to tell him this much?"

The Undertaker grinned but the Earl answered for him. "Well, you see, Undertaker thought it would be a brilliant plan for you to join our organization known in the underworld as the Evil Noblemen. Surely you're familiar with such given your station as an assassin?"

Then, something interesting happened. Rachel stilled before deadening her expression, silver eyes dulling as she focused her attention on Vincent. Somehow, she looked older, almost foreign to Undertaker despite being the same person sitting in the carriage with them. She wasn't Rachel anymore, that much he could tell.

"Oh?" The small acknowledgement was enough for them to know she was somewhat interested but also a step away from doing something. The atmosphere tensed, but no one gave away any indication that it bothered them.

"If you'd like, we can discuss it more when we arrive. If you accept, then our next meeting would be appropriate for your introduction. Is that alright with you?" The Earl managed to keep his cool, not giving away any fear which was a feat that impressed Rachel. Well, it was to be expected of the Queen's Guard dog after all.

She glanced darkly at Undertaker before looking back at the Earl, replying with a terse nod before looking away. She didn't quite relax but she wasn't quite on guard as before. Her only concern was how much he knew and how much Undertaker told him. Actually, speaking of which…

"How much did you tell him?" Her accusing glare settled on Undertaker as he rose his hands innocently like some man wronged of a crime he didn't commit. His grin said otherwise.

"Why, as much as you told me!~ While you rested, I took it upon myself to inform the Earl. I didn't think he'd come this soon, however~" He grinned at Vincent before looking back at Rachel who was now squinting at him. He pouted. "Oh, come now, dearie~ Surely you're not _that_ mad~"

She twitched before sighing. "Nevermind. Let's hear this proposal of yours when we get there." She turned back to the window, disgruntled at the turn of events. At least it wasn't worse. She fingered the locket hidden in her coat. She'd yet to tell him about the pocket watch, but now, she wasn't so sure.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: So, chapter 6 in 1st POV as promised. Tell me your thoughts on which you prefer because I was thinking that 3rd POV would be UT's turn in the story, but that's yet to be determined. Anyhow, this chapter is super long since it's a future apology for if I have to set aside this fanfic for college. Another thing, the title needs work. I was thinking of changing it to Heroes Don't Come Home. If you think it needs changing, just say Y or N in the reviews lmao. Anyhow, enjoy and don't forget to review if you can.

Much thanks to 8shadesofmadness, DarkAngel2581, PenArt, ManawaSasa, Kay Starlight, and Guest for the reviews. I hope to keep you guys around for as long as I can.

Also, P.S., because I edit my own stories, forgive the slight grammar mistakes. Also, if you see this: /text/, it is supposed to be italicized. You will understand whether it's a thought or emphasis based on context.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroshitsuji nor will I ever. Everything read not included in Kuroshitsuji are my ideas and characters alone unless mentioned otherwise.

Chapter 6  
First POV  
I looked around dully at the three people seated at the table with me. We were seated in some sun room - I'm guessing for entertaining guests - after being introduced into the manor. The fourth addition had arrived earlier and was none other than Diedrich: Vincent's classmate from Weston, if I remember correctly. He didn't look too happy about being here in general, so that made me feel a little bit better. But not by much. But by far, everyone looked exactly as portrayed in the manga: Vincent, with his chocolate brown eyes and bluish hair; Diedrich, looking sour as ever given his uptight personality and stern face; and Undertaker, smiling madly as usual, probably because of my discomfort.

Everyone was seated at the table already laid out with tea sets and treats enough for everyone, which I was trying very hard to ignore. Diedrich was all too happy stuffing sandwiches in his mouth to alleviate his irritation.

"So, why was I called here again?" Diedrich couldn't have been more enthusiastic about the meeting. Hint: the sarcasm.

Vincent smiled charmingly. "Why, can't a friend invite another just for old time's sake?" He lifted his teacup with all the mannerisms of a calm viper. He definitely had something under his sleeve, that's for sure. I narrowed my eyes but continued observing as Undertaker was.

"A phone call would've sufficed!" He snapped, stuffing another sandwich into his mouth while grumbling intelligibly. I simply rose an eyebrow before looking away, uninterested.

I sighed. Honestly, their dynamic reminded me too much of Undertaker and I. As happy as he was to prank and joke around, both he and Vincent were pretty much one and the same. Which left the pity party to me and Diedrich. I wrinkled my nose. /No thanks./

Undertaker's occasional giggles lapsed between their arguing before the conversation turned inevitably to me. This dreaded moment would at least mean the end of the meeting… hopefully.

"So, what's so special about her?" Between his rude gestures and compulsive habit of eating, I could see a bit of a parallel between me and Diedrich. Inwardly grimacing, I decided that's definitely not a good thing.

Thankfully, Vincent answered for me. "Because of her skills as an assassin, we were hoping she'd join the underworld. She's already enacted as Undertaker's assistant and bodyguard, so that gives her the perfect facade, albeit inappropriate according to England's terms."

I snorted. "Well, since when was propriety ever fun for anyone?"

Vincent smirked as Undertaker giggled. "Fair point, my lady. So, what do you think? You'll be fully reimbursed for your services to the Queen's Watchdog, as well as your stay here with Undertaker. Do you accept my proposal?"

Hm. It didn't sound too complicated, but there were far too many loopholes. Too many to cover which made me slightly suspicious. This would have to entail more than just dalliances with the Evil Noblemen. "How far do my services extend and when do they end?"

Vincent smiled, as if expecting the question. "You'll be my bodyguard while I solve the cases Her Majesty gives me. During which, you'll simply eliminate on command, even witnesses. Does that disagree with you in any way?"

"Not at all. But if I happen to refuse a command, will I be punished?"

"No, you'll only be paid for what you accomplished."

Ah, seems fair. I nodded. "And my second question?"

"You will ultimately be the decider of that. So, I take it that you approve." Vincent smiled, but I could sense an underlying sense of success. He already knew I would accept.

Well, why not. "Yes, my Lord."

"Excellent." He extended a hand to me, a glint in his eye as he gave me a sly smile. "Welcome to the Evil Noblemen, my Lady. We look forward to working with you in the near future."

I took his hand and shook it. "I'm honored, my Lord."

"Very well. As for now, you're free to explore the manor. I'll have Tanaka take you where you wish to go." He released my hand before gesturing to the aforementioned butler.

Wait, what? "Wait, does that mean Undertaker isn't done yet?" Damn it all, I just wanted to collapse into my bed. I was so tired from all the unanticipated stress just from today.

"Unfortunately for you, yes. It'll take a few hours at least. But I'd like to invite you two to dinner. As I said before, it's about time the family knew about the new arrival." He smirked with a raised eyebrow, as if silently challenging me to object.

I sighed mentally. This was what I meant. The reason to why I didn't like Vincent despite not understanding why. He had hidden motives, albeit not evil, that I knew were dedicated to amusement from discomfort of others. For a moment, I couldn't help but pity Diedrich. I closed my eyes, giving him a smile. "Of course, my lord. I look forward to it."

"Wonderful. Tanaka, if you will? My company and I will resort to the billiards room for the remainder of the evening until dinner." He stood up along with the other men before smiling at me again. "It'll be fun to work with you, Lady Rachel. Oh, and if you happen to see my boys, don't be afraid to acquaint yourself with them."

"But of course." He was trusting me already. An unspoken challenge, I guess. But that all depends. We watched them leave, Undertaking waving at me before Tanaka turned to me.

"Well now, my Lady, what would you like to see?" He looked much healthier than in the manga, despite his old age, and for him to still be employed meant he was serious business. That in itself meant badass to me, and my respect for him pretty much skyrocketed.

But what to do to pass the time? Hm… "Ah, do you perhaps have a piano somewhere?"

Tanaka smiled. "That we do, my Lady. Right this way." He took the lead, down a winding set of hallways until we came to the music room where a grand piano set, it's black coat gleaming in all it's glory and solitude. Excellent. "Would you like me to play for you, my Lady?"

I blinked before realizing that he assumed I wanted to hear a piece when I meant the other way around. "Oh no, that won't be required. I was hoping to borrow it until dinner."

Tanaka lifted his eyebrows in surprise before smiling, bowing his head. "Of course, my Lady. Do as you please."

"Thank you." He only smiled in reply with a slight tilt of his head.

I walked up to the piano, taking my time to familiarize myself with the feel of the sleek surface before opening it. Who knew how long it'd be until I could play on the piano again. I looked up, seeing Tanaka there before playing Chopin's famous Fantasie Impromptu.

Usually, anytime I play an instrument, I closed my eyes to enhance the feel of the music. My only get-away from reality. Since childhood, I'd learned to play thanks to a guardian of mine. After stumbling from multiple adoptive homes, running away was the best option, and it was pure luck I met him, my Grandfather as I called him, although we weren't even related.

My mind wandered a bit as my fingers skimmed over the black and white keys, before beginning a second piece, ironically The Moonlit Night. The haunted melody attracted me the most, and it was some time before I noticed I had an unexpected audience. Opening my eyes, I was greeted with two more people within the room. Rachel, the wife of Earl Phantomhive, along with one of her sons, but from the way he was hiding behind her skirt while still watching me meant he was the younger one. I was so surprised that I stopped playing altogether, staring blankly at them instead. What was I supposed to do?

Instead, Lady Rachel smiled, gesturing at the piano again. "Please, don't mind us. You were playing so beautifully, in fact, that my youngest son found you first before bringing me here. Do you always play with your eyes closed?"

"Oh, um, thank you, and yes, my Lady. It allows me to empathize with the music." I sat a while longer before getting up to approach her with a bow. "Forgive the belated introduction, but I am Rachel Rose, currently employed as the Undertaker's assistant." Rising up, I noticed the blue-haired boy looking at me curiously before looking back at Rachel.

She was smiling with a surprised look on her face. "Oh my, with the same name as me, no less. Well, now." She curtsied. "I am the current wife to the Earl of Phantomhive, Rachel Phantomhive. It's a pleasure to meet you."

I bowed my head slightly. "Likewise, my Lady." I looked down at the look-alike Ciel curiously. Rachel followed my line of attention before smiling gently and putting a hand to his back.

"Why don't you introduce yourself?"

Her son's eyes popped open in fear as he started stuttering an introduction, but before he even finished a sentence, his shyness overwhelmed him and he sought comfort behind his mother's skirts again. Poor kid.

"Ah, forgive him, he's not quite accustomed to greeting strangers." She gave me an apologetic smile while her hand gently stroked his head comfortingly.

"Mm, no, it's fine, my Lady." Diverting my attention to him, I crouched down so we were eye level although most of him was obscured by his mother's dress. Resting my elbows on my knees, I asked, "How about I teach you a song?" With a neutral face, I extended a hand in invitation which seemed to surprise both of them.

He looked up for permission from his mother, and deciding that her raised eyebrow wasn't a no, he looked back at me and nodded shyly. Hesitantly, he placed his hand on mine, similar to a butterfly ready to flee at the first sign of danger, so I loosely led him to the bench, allowing him the option to run back to his mother if the task seemed to daunting. Surprisingly, he had the determination to prove something to himself so he followed albeit timidly.

"That's it." I looked up at Lady Rachel for any objections, and seeing none, I helped him up on the bench before joining him on the other side. We were situated so I was positioned closer to the lower chords of the piano while he had the upper. "So, what do you know of the piano?"

He looked down at his hands, fidgeting a bit. "Not much," he murmured. He was still a bit frightened, but I guess Tanaka and his mother's presence must've been reassuring enough to keep him there.

"Hm, that's fine. There's a lot to learn, but we can settle with the basics. How about a tune? Is there a lullaby you are familiar with?"

He thought for a moment, swinging his legs before looking up suddenly. "Oh! "'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star'?" He looked up hopefully at me.

"Sure, that'll work." Placing my hand on the keyboard, I positioned it so it'd be easier for him to see. "So, I'll play the tune for you so you can see the keys I'm pressing. Afterwards, I'll teach it to you so you can play it on your own." I then proceeded to play it one-handedly while he leaned in to see, awe on his face before apprehension settled in.

"What if I don't get it right the first time?" To be honest, it was cute that he worried I wouldn't approve if he made a mistake.

I smiled a little. "That's alright. People make mistakes, after all. That's why practice makes perfect. Now, I'll have you play after me but an octave higher." Taking his hands, I placed them next to mine so he could play along. "Now, you may have to use two hands since they're smaller than mine and won't reach a few jumps in between notes. Now follow my lead, just like that…"

I proceeded to play the melody, pausing every so often to correct a fingering or placement. Nervousness made him stumble quite a bit, but my praises for any right note he played boosted his confidence enough for him to play alone without me at all. Eventually, he could play it at a moderate enough tempo that we could now have some fun. "Alright, you're doing excellent, young master. Now, here comes the fun part. Just keep playing that melody and I'll play along, and don't stop until I say so."

He looked up curiously but did as he was asked, playing the melody while I played an accompaniment using the lower keys. The range difference contrasted nicely while I encouraged him to keep playing, his excitement causing him to miss a note or two, but his giggling meant he didn't mind.

"Alright, last time, young master." He looked rather sad but I made up for it with a flourish of arpeggios and chords at the end that had him beaming with awe.

At the same time, clapping ensued which made me look up abruptly to see a small crowd of people consisting of Undertaker, Vincent, his wife, Diedrich, even Madame Red and Ciel, himself, the older twin.

I deadpanned while my student curled into my side, blushing from embarrassment, head ducked. Looking down at him, I nudged encouragingly. "Come on, follow my lead." Taking his hand, I helped him down before standing in front of our small audience. I raised an eyebrow at him before bowing. Surprisingly, he followed my lead before darting behind me, hiding from everyone. He peeked out as a few chuckled at his shyness, but his brother fortunately came to his rescue, running up to him despite my presence.

"That was so cool! You should've seen the way your hands moved!" Ciel was bouncing on his feet, tugging on his little brother's arm.

His little brother smiled shyly. "I know, Ciel. I was playing, after all. Ah, but she taught me!" He looked up at me, shyly smiling with appreciation.

Vincent smiled as he and Rachel came up to congratulate their son as well. "Well done, indeed. And quite brave of you, too. It's rather rare to see you learning from a stranger even." He gave me a cheeky smile with an all-knowing look, his raised brow basically saying, /See, I told you so./ Rachel just looked overall proud that I helped her son learn the piano and by a stranger no less.

I was a millisecond away from rolling my eyes when a sleeved arm draped itself over my shoulders. "Quite a charmer, ain't she, milord~?" He giggled as he wiggled his hands at the twins in greeting. The youngest, of course, balked in fear while Ciel waved back with a smile. Those two, I couldn't help but think, were literally walking contradictions of each other.

A sharp 2-inch nail then poked my cheek at which I deadpanned. I raised an eyebrow, "Yes?"

Undertaker grinned before pointing down at Ciel who was now standing in front of me bravely, hands behind his back.

I blinked, looking back at Undertaker before directing my attention to Ciel once more. "Yes?"

Ciel beamed as soon as I gave him my full attention. "Hello, miss! My name's Ciel. Would you mind teaching me what you just taught him?" He tilted his head, turning on his cuteness charm as I deadpanned.

Well, this is new. My brow furrowed in thought when I heard a snicker over my shoulder. I slightly glared at the culprit's direction while Ciel tilted his head in confusion, a slight frown on his face as he tried to figure out what I was thinking. After a while, I shrugged. Why not? "Sure, you'll just have to talk about it with your Father, I guess."

He lit up with a big smile. "Oh, yay! Thank you so much, miss! Looking forward to learning with you!" He waved before running over to Vincent.

I waved back but not as enthusiastically. "Of course." I sighed, scratching my head a bit. What did I just get myself into?

Looking back at Vincent, he only smiled in gratitude before looking down at his son who was most likely telling him about our agreement.

I sighed, rubbing my forehead. Well, we'll have to see about arrangements if Vincent does agree.

"How about that, m'dear? Seems my mysterious assistant was able to charm the elusive young master, eh~" He giggled from over my shoulder, causing me to glare at him. "Hi hi, now now, none of that, m'dear. That's not a face a lady oughta make~" He chided teasingly, causing me to snort.

"Lady, my ass," I bit back quietly. HIs grin widened, but I continued nonetheless. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be in this position."

"Very true." The sound of Vincent's voice interjecting into our conversation had me looking back sharply at him. Oh great, now him? "And that's why we're quite fortunate to have found a new piano teacher, don't you think, Undertaker?"

The mortician giggled, his head bobbing fervently in agreement. I groaned internally. Why did all the bad luck fall to me?

"If you wouldn't mind, Lady Rachel, it would also please my wife if you could teach our sons. She's been hoping for a teacher who would have the patience to teach not only Ciel, but our youngest as well."

I blinked. Well, they're rich, aren't they? It shouldn't be hard to find one. "I'm sure there are more qualified piano teachers out there than just me. Surely they should be easy to find."

Vincent and Rachel looked at each other amused which made me suspicious. "Yes, that's true, however, there's yet a teacher to teach our youngest son as easily as you did."

I deadpanned. I didn't know if anyone else could tell, but I could smell bullshit just right around the corner. "I see."

Vincent gave me his most fabulous shit-eating grin. "Well, of course, nothing's set in stone. However, the position is available. Besides, I find it will also allow you to keep up with the skill, don't you think?"

I frowned, disgruntled. Well, he wasn't wrong, though. "And if I were to accept, how often would I have to visit for lessons? The majority of learning an instrument is spent by practice."

He smirked. "I'm sure we can do twice a month so long as it doesn't interfere with your apprenticeship."

Undertaker patted my head, quite amused by the outcome. "It'll be no trouble at all, milord~"

Glancing at him, I shrugged. If he didn't mind, then I guess it was fine. Although I'd hoped to keep my distance, I think this outcome would help me keep a closer eye on the Phantomhives at least. "I can work with that, then."

Vincent nodded. "Excellent. That being said, I'd say it's about time we have dinner. Tanaka?"

The butler bowed before addressing the room. "Dinner will be prepared shortly. Until then, please enjoy yourselves."

She blinked before deadpanning. Vincent's wife was approaching her with her sons in tow. Oh great, now what?

A/N: So, for the piano playing part, I was inspired by a commercial I remembered watching long ago. The link is here below.

[April 1, 2016 - YouTube]( watch?v=d9Vu0og5r7E) Encouragement piano ad inspiration


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: So, as promised, another monthly update. Tbh, this month was a celebration for me because I am now officially an adult by US standards. Hooray! Happy B-day to me. Anyhow, moving on, this chapter was quite hard to come out with because I didn't know where to go on from last chapter, but thankfully, all I had to do was start writing, and the issue resolved itself. It may seem a little disjointed, I hope not, but possibly, if I overcome my college issues, I'll be able to come back and give the story a whole revision if need be. For now, I hope you enjoy.

As for the clothing part, just think of the clothing from Violet Evergarden. The dresses there are so beautiful, especially on the main character, but I'll explain more of her preferences in the future. For now, just imagine Rachel as the gothic apathetic anti-social I've attempted to make her be. Hopefully, with successful character development, you'll see her experience emotions thanks to her boss and the soon to be demon butler.

Also, as for the ending, it's a hint about Rachel's otherworldly feature. Not gonna make any spoilers, but it oughta make some ideas for what you think it will be.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroshitsuji nor will I ever. Everything read not included in Kuroshitsuji are my ideas and characters alone.

Chapter 7  
Rachel's POV (1st)  
Oh God, I don't want to deal with this.

My eye twitched but I wore a blank face anyway. It wouldn't do to give away my irritation to the wife of said Earl who'd just invited me to join the Evil Noblemen.

She smiled brightly, before looking down at her sons fondly. "So I hear you've accepted to tutor my sons."

"Yes, my Lady." I wondered where this was going.

She smiled softly, as if relieved that I'd taken some unknown burden off her shoulders. "Please, teach them well. My youngest, especially, is quite shy, and the fact he warmed up to you so quickly gives me faith that he'll continue to grow under your tutelage. So please, if there's anything you need, don't be afraid to let us know." I could see her youngest peeking at me from behind her with a hopeful look.

I was quite dubious, but then I paused. Vincent's wife had the face of someone who didn't know the hardship of life, was untouched by it, and it suddenly reminded me of a friend of mine. A friend that I held dear enough to keep their innocence intact, and for some reason, that urge overwhelmed me to honor her request. I couldn't find it in me to turn her down.

"You have my word, my Lady. I'll see to it he and your eldest are taken cared of under my wing."

Of course, this didn't seem to her surprise her in the slightest because she gave me an approving nod before gesturing to a familiar red head - whom I failed to notice due to my thoughts - who stood not far behind. Madame Red, otherwise known as Angelina Durless. "I'd like you to meet my younger sister, Angelina. Although she's commonly known as Madame Red, I like to call her Ann."

The redhead lavishly dressed stepped forward with an even brighter smile, not at all put off by my blank face. "Please, call me whatever suits your taste. Any is fine." She waved her hand carelessly, unconcerned with social etiquette although her outward appearance contradicted that quite plainly. Yet, despite the make-up and bright smile, I could see through her facade. clear as glass. The reserved, lonely and quite type. The kind of person I am.

Or was, in her case especially.

I had to restrain myself from twitching unconsciously from how fake she was obviously acting, but I decided to let it pass. Given her history based on the manga, I couldn't help but pity her. Unlike her sister, she wanted for everything but never received. The spoilt fruit attached but attracted to the beauty of the other. And yet, despite all that, she accepted it out of love for her sister and brother-in-law. I decided I found that quite admirable, no matter how off-putting her mask was.

"Madame Red. A pleasure to meet you. My name is Rachel Rose, assistant to the Undertaker." I bowed, obviously adhering to formalities. Despite having insight to everyone mentioned thanks to the manga, it would definitely look odd to suddenly be so familiar with a stranger I knew about objectively, not intimately.

Madame Red cocked an eyebrow in amusement, glancing at her sister as the irony dawned on her. "Rachel, eh? Say, you share the same name yet look as different as night and day. Why don't we come up with another name to avoid confusion?"

I tilted my head. Making a big deal out of this and it's only names! My eyebrow knit. "Why not just call me Elle? I respond to either since a friend gave me that nickname anyhow." There, that oughta solve the issue.

Madam Red tilted her head in confusion. "Why Elle?"

Or not.

It took discipline to hold back a sigh. "Mainly because Rachel is short for Rachaelle. As well as my last name, Rosenthal. It's just easier to say when it's shorter."

If Undertaker's face had been revealed, I imagined he would've lifted a brow… until I remembered that he didn't actually have any if the manga drawings were accurate.

"Oh~ You've never mentioned this before, m'dear! Why's that, hm?" He giggled, albeit unbothered by the fact he was unaware. Perhaps its the fact I was telling it now and not then.

Ack, who knows with him! I couldn't care less at this point.

"Mainly because you've never asked." I shrugged. That's his problem, not mine.

His grin widened. "What terrible reasoning, love~"

"Hey, I never claimed to be logical." I frowned at him, ignoring the amused look on Madame Red's face as she observed our interactions. Suddenly, Lady Rachel's face lit up.

"Oh, now that I think about it, your full name sounds oddly like a man's name; Rashael. How did that come to happen?"

Albeit the look of innocence on her face, bless her soul, three pairs of eyes turned to me, heavy with inquisition.

I deadpanned. "Long story."

Madame Red pouted. "Oh come now, don't be such a stiff! Do tell!~" She boldly sidled up to me, sneaking an arm around mine as if to make a show of closeness.

I sweat dropped but held firm. "My lips are sealed, my Lady."

"Hmph!" Madame Red tore her arm away as if accusing me of touching her in the first place and turned away, crossing her arms childishly as she peered at me from the corner of her eye. "Fine, be that way. We'll weed it out of you some day, one way or another. Isn't that right, dearest sister?" She smiled sweetly at Lady Rachel, using the same gesture she did with me but this time, using her charm.

Vincent's wife only laughed softly before conceding. "No no, I'm quite fine with not knowing. It is up to her discretion, after all."

Madame Red's eyes grew pathetically large, almost teary-eyed as her plan backfired ironically on her. "Sister! How could you? That story ought to have some quality somehow!"

I almost smirked, but I managed nothing more than a twitch at the corner of my lips, which, of course, didn't escape Undertaker's notice.

"Hmph, guess that's one loss for you, Madame Red." I crossed my arms, victorious.

"Oh, but don't forget, you still have your caretaker to deal with~" She rose an eyebrow at me, clearly indicating Undertaker behind me.

I only rose an eyebrow before smirking. "Please, I'm a one-man army. As if I'd need help." I tilted my chin up. "On the contrary, it seems /you'd/ be needing the help."

Madame Red's eyes glinted with amusement, but she held a finger to lips slyly. "You never know, dear. You might miss a step, and we'll be waiting then to pounce."

"Heh, I'd like to see you try." Despite my dry response, she seemed to understand that I was playing along which came as a relief. Despite her facade ticking me off, she was slightly more pleasant than the usual socialite.

But before I could say any more, Tanaka knocked on the door to announce his presence. "Dinner is served. Please follow me back to the dining hall by order of name called. Afterwards, we'll proceed from there."

Whoo, saved by the butler, and a badass one at that. Not bad.

But by the looks of Madame Red's face, I'm sure it was anything but.

…

The next day, I woke up groggily. Slowly sitting up, I rubbed my eyes, yawning before checking the time on my phone.

9:56

Oh God. I'm late.

I flung the blanket to the side, hurriedly changing into work clothes. I decided to forgo the shower since it would make me even more late.

Tch, very bad manners. I don't know how often the Undertaker gets mad, but he definitely won't be pleased.

I practically pulled on some pants and a shirt in record time before rushing to the door and flinging it open to reveal a surprised Undertaker who just managed to save my breakfast on the tray.

For a minute, we paused, registering the situation. He, too, froze, taking in my rushed appearance and uncombed hair, mouth slightly agape at having never seen me so unneat before I broke the silence.

"Uh, what are you doing?" I looked up at him, down at the tray, then back up at him. I though he'd be at the front already preparing his guests.

He tilted his head, as if confused that it wasn't obvious enough what he was doing. "Bringing you breakfast, of course, m'dear~" He lifted the tray a little.

I deadpanned. "I know /that/. I meant, what /are/ you doing? Shouldn't we be working already?"

I saw a green glow from behind his bangs, temporarily inhibited by him blinking before he doubled over in laughter, barely holding on to the tray. I grabbed it last minute before he started heaving on the floor.

"Bwahahahaha!~ That's what you're worried about, m'dear?~ Hihihihi~" He was twitching and drooling all over, worsening my mood from before. Eventually, I got fed up to the point that I walked back into my room, closing the door forcefully. I proceeded to eat my breakfast in silence as his muffled giggles resumed throughout the door until a rustle of clothes and some heeled steps approached the door. He knocked first before a silver haired head with a top hat and liripipe popped in with a grin.

"Well now, I suppose that takes care of today's payment~" He'd wiped the drool from earlier, and yet a new one was making its way down his chin. I glanced at him with a scowl before looking away with a sigh.

Whatever. At this point, I stopped worrying over what he was planning. No point in getting high blood pressure as something so trivial as this. I finished eating in silence my bacon and egg with bread. Nothing too fancy, but at least it's filling.

Undertaker simply decided to sit on my bed - I was at the desk this time - until I was done, his never-ending grin resilient against my scowl.

Reluctantly, I turned to him. "So, why are we starting so late?"

"Hihi~ Well, you were quite worn out from yesterday's activities that I decided you oughta sleep in for good measure and a hearty breakfast oughta brighten your day… but well, as you can see, that backfired quite nicely on me, I would say." He leaned back on the bed, hands supporting his weight as he leisurely explained.

I could feel the guilt again, weighing like a stone in my gut. He's so nice for an asshole. He let me sleep in AND even made me breakfast.

I looked away, scratching my head uncomfortably. "Okay, so what now?"

At that, he bolted upright, as though he were a child receiving presents for doing something good. "Now, we wait for the seamstress to measure you for your clothing!~ I imagine you'd have some preference to your dressing, but do try as much as possible to blend in with Victorian fashion. We wouldn't want you attracting any more attention than you already do now."

I frowned. I already knew that, but still, it was a good point. It couldn't hurt to give them a few ideas, though. I didn't mind the fashion part, but steampunk looked quite nice, and I figured now would be the best opportunity, and as much as I liked my pants, dresses wouldn't hurt so long as they don't get in the way.

"I'll keep that in mind, but I have a few ideas that could work."

Undertaker nodded fervently, agreeing already to my decision without even bothering to know what it is. "Then that'll do. Now, if you're done, we'll catch up on some of yesterday's leftover work while we wait. Hopefully, we may even finish today's~ But of course, you'll be in charge of the paperwork~" He grinned slyly at that.

Of course, I knew that he'd use that as an excuse. If anyone needed to know anything about the Undertaker, it was his self-proclaimed hatred for paperwork. He'd do anything to avoid it, and in this case, I was the perfect leverage.

I shook my head. "Whatever works for you, sir." I got up from the chair, tray in hand as I walked to the door. Undertaker followed behind, giggling like some naughty schoolboy as I deposited the dishes in his sink for washing.

"Now now, dear~ No need for such formality~" He leaned against the counter with a smirk as he watched me wash the dishes, scrutinizing each plate carefully.

I snorted softly. "You're my boss. Of course, there has to be professionalism on the field. Otherwise, lack of boundaries may lead to unforeseen consequences that I'd rather not find myself tangled up in." I held a plate up to the light, scrubbing a stain until I was content no mark was left behind.

"No matter how professional you are, can't an employer be friends with his employee? The boss must, after all, know how to empathize with their workers on some level~ Hihihi!"

"Hmph, but even a boss must know when to draw the line between stern and lax."

His grin widened. "Touche, m'dear."

After having finished putting away the dishes, I followed him back to the front, resuming my position at the desk filled with stacks of paperwork as he opened a lid to the coffin to finish the cadaver from yesterday. The one runover by a carriage, I believe. I glanced at the page. Right, Mr. Durby.

I sighed, resting my head on my left hand as I continued where I left off. I get that I'm his assistant, but that doesn't mean shove the part you don't like about your job onto /me/. My eye twitched.

But I digress. I had ambidexterity - thank God - so it wouldn't that big of an issue. Besides, I had free time to wander with my thoughts, which brought me back to the events last night at the Phantomhive manor.

The dinner was excellent and the company, I didn't mind so much. Madame Red, for all her fakeness that I could bear, was quite intelligent given her MD and amusing to talk to although the banter was unexpected. I hadn't expected to make friends with her so soon. The wife herself could be considered a close acquaintance, but as for Vincent?

Hm. I'd need time to consider that. Diedrich, of course, was a vessel to anyone's amusement, and as much as I would pity him, it was his own fault for being fooled so easily.

As for the twins…

…/Timeskip\\\\\…

"Hey! Miss Rachel! Why don't you come play with us!" One of the twins, I guessed to be Master Ciel, came towards me.

I sweat dropped. Dinner already ended, which the servants were busy cleaning up, and everyone was about to retire to their beds. Even Madame Red had already hailed a carriage to take her home. Undertaker and I were simply waiting for it to return to take us back to the morgue.

"Don't your parents know about this?"

He shook his head vigorously. "No, because then they'd tell us it's time to sleep." He pouted.

I blinked. "Well, that's because it is."

"But I don't want to sleep!"

I deadpanned. "But then, not only would you be in trouble for not going to sleep, but also I for causing you to stay up." I was hoping some logic would put some sense into his brain.

He instead stuck out his lower lip. "But I want to play with you. It's not fair that he got a piano lesson and I didn't."

Well, he's not wrong.

Actually, that's a fair point. "Alright, run to your parents really quick while we still have some time. We only have an hour and a half before Undertaker and I leave."

He suddenly brightened, smiling widely. "Okay, you stay right there!"

He took off before I could even say anything, so I ended up just sitting on the couch, awkwardly waiting for him in the lounge. I don't know specifically what he wanted to "play", whether it be a game or the piano, but for now, I'll just go along with it. Undertaker was currently with Vincent, so that granted me a few minutes of much needed peace. Leaning my elbow against the arm of the sofa, I rested my head on my hand, closing my eyes. The next minute, I opened my eyes to see the twins.

I blinked in confusion, wondering if I was seeing double images - especially since I was so tired- but seeing as they remained, I figured both of them wanted to play.

"So, I take it your parents said yes?'"

The eldest, I take it, beamed and nodded fervently. "Yep, until your carriage comes to take you and Undertaker back." He held up a chess board, and I sweat dropped. "Why don't we play chess!"

"Won't that take a while?"

"We have time, right, Ciel?" It was the youngest, this time.

"Uh-huh, especially since Aunt Red lives so far away." He was already setting up the chess board, him with the white pieces while I had the dark pieces.

Ah, well, guess there's no escape. Even if I was a top-tier assassin didn't mean I was the best at chess. "If you say so…"

A little while later, and Ciel and I were ready. He already moved his white pawn, so I decided to move a black pawn, diagonal from his. "I'm only playing against one of you, correct? No double-teaming?"

Ciel blinked. "Of course, but that would also be a great idea! We should do that next time, right?" He looked at his younger sibling.

"But only you, Father, and I are good at chess. That means we can't share equally."

Ciel giggled, moving his white chess piece. "No, silly. When Miss Rachel and the Undertaker are here! That way we can play!"

The youngest blushed. "Oh, right…"

I smirked. "Well, it's yet to be determined whether I qualify or not. Undertaker might be adequate for this, however."

"My, my, singing my praises when I'm away~ Aren't you a dear! Hi hi hi~" A dark shadow loomed over me as I looked from the corner of my eye.

I glared. "Oh, stuff it, old man. I only said adequate."

In mock hurt, he grasped his chest. "Oh, the pain! Such a cruel assistant I've hired!~"

Ciel giggled, watching with rapt attention as I moved my next pawn.

"Ne, Miss Rachel, can I ask a question?" He moved his pawn next.

"Yes?" I studied the board, contemplating my next move. Undertaker, meanwhile, leaned against my chair, amused at the scene playing out.

"Why don't you want to know my younger brother's name?"

I looked up, seeing three sets of inquisitive eyes on me. I blinked before tilting my head. "Why not? Well, I believe it's up to him when he trusts me enough to tell me his name. Otherwise, I'll stick with calling him Young Master, or bocchan, which would be Japanese."

Ciel blinked, looking quite amazed at my thought before looking at his brother. "What do you think?"

The youngest looked at me thoughtfully before nodding. "I don't mind." His shy mannerisms told me he was still slightly intimidated, but hopefully, the next few weeks would change that. As his future piano teacher, he'd have to get comfortable with me providing private lessons.

Ciel, however, would definitely have no problem.

A few minutes later concluded the game with me having narrowly evaded a loss. I sighed, slumping against the back of the chair as Undertaker giggled. Ciel was looking in wonder at the board, trying to figure out how I managed to win.

"You're pretty good at this, Miss!"

I almost snorted. Yeah, define good. "If you say so."

"Hey, you two. It's past your bedtime!" Vincent arrived, appearing just as a chorus of "aww's" were heard from the two, but they ran to their Dad anyway.

"Look, Father, Miss Rachel beat me at chess, too!"

I deadpanned as he neared, looking over the chessboard with amused skepticism. "Did she now?" He looked at me with a raised eyebrow but I only shrugged my shoulders.

"Beginner's luck." What can I say? My luck only went so far.

Vincent chuckled before looking down at his sons. "It's well past bedtime, don't you think? Go with Tanaka. He'll have you both ready for bed."

"Sure thing, Father. See you next week, Miss Rachel!" The twins waved goodbye before following Tanaka out the door.

Vincent smiled fondly before looking at me and Undertaker. "Well, now, I take it both of you enjoyed yourselves?"

Undertaker grinned. "Without a doubt, milord~ The Phantomhives always knew how to have a good time, if I may say so, hihihi~"

I glanced at him before looking at Vincent. "Whatever he said."

"I see. Well then, I'll accompany you both to the front. Diedrich's already taken his leave. We'll talk again next week. However, our Underworld meetings will be specified on a later date."

"I see. Well, pleasure meeting you, Earl." I nodded my head at him.

"The pleasure's mine, m'lady. Undertaker, until then." He shook his hand before Undertaker got into the carriage.

"Will do, milord~" He gave his signature giggle before the carriage rolled away, the last image of the Earl of his back turned as he entered his home.

I turned to the Undertaker and he grinned widely. "Well, that was fun, wasn't it, m'dear~?"

I glared.

He giggled.

"Shut up."

…/Timeskip to present\\\\\…

My nose twitched. Well, the twins weren't so bad. I found myself favoring the youngest, however. Ciel was always prioritized due to being next in line as Earl, therefore, the youngest wasn't always most important in most people's minds. Especially concerning the future.

Oh, well. I don't think I'll mind giving private lessons. It's just that, Vincent's proposition was so sudden that I couldn't help being suspicious. It was as if…

Wait.

Hold on a second. Did I seriously accept their offer to tutor their children just because I felt bad?

I internally groaned, face-palming. Damn you, conscience. Damn you.

Undertaker's grin widened, having noticed how quiet I'd gotten. "Hi hi hi~ Having an internal spat, aren't we, m'dear," he giggled shamelessly.

I glared sideways at him. "Right, tell me about it."

I was one step away from ripping his head off his neck. If only it wasn't for the "good graces" of the bell ringing on top of his door that signaled for the entrance of a new guest that prevented me from carrying out my plan.

"My, could it be the one we've been waiting for this afternoon?~" he opened the door to reveal a rather demure brunette, carrying a huge suitcase which must've been quite the hassle due to the bustling dress she wore. She was probably around my age, maybe less, but from the way she leaned away from the Undertaker pitifully, quite a spine-less girl as well. Oh well, I'll take what I can get.

I looked at him with a questioning glance and by the looks of his grin, he got my unsaid question. What is this person doing here?

"My dear assistant~ Meet your future friend, Bridget Higgins, the tailor!" He presented her like it was a birthday gift although I had no idea why he was so hyped up about a simple tailor. "She oughta help you fit in with Victorian standards of dress, but she's quite flexible with consumer demands, I hear~" He tapped a nail thoughtfully against his lip as though contemplating if he found the right one or not.

The brunette, however, looked around til her blue eyes rested on me and then lit up for some odd reason. "She is to be my next customer, sir?" Her voice, albeit timid, could be likened to bells, soft but clear.

He leered with a grin, nodding.

She paled a bit, but upon seeing me again, she smiled brightly. "Oh, wonderful!"

Um. What about me was so wonderful? I'm pretty sure I was the worst person in the world to exist right now.

"I can't wait! Come! You'll need to get undressed so I can take your measurements! Your room oughta do!~" She rushed to me, taking my arm urgently. Thank God I'd healed out of my stitches or I'd be in a world of pain right now, but that was the least of my worries at the moment.

I need to be undressed? Oh, hell no! Not in front of a stranger, and with the amount of scars on my body? No, thanks.

I shot Undertaker a murderous glance as I wrestled with the girl trying to get me out of my seat so she could get me to my room. I had to be careful not to be too rough which was a hassle in itself.

Undertaker, of course, only giggled unhelpfully, but he understood my predicament well enough. "Worry not, m'dear, I've provided a slip for you in your room~" To the tailor, he informed, "You'll have to forgive her since it's her first time. She's from America, after all~" He drawled quite admonishingly as though it were my fault for being new, but I let it slide. For now.

She cast me a dubious glance, but relented. "Oh, alright. But just so you know, the clothes may either be a tad loose or tight since they won't be rather accurate."

"Hihihi~ unless if you'd like to work with the measurements I took while she was recovering" He held up a piece of paper which the tailor eyed like candy.

I stared at him. When did he get the time to measure me? While I was passed out? Because I would've sensed him otherwise if he even tried to sneak in five feet away from the door.

Sensing my stare, he only shrugged. "I didn't know whether or not you'd be waking up, so of course, being a mortician, I prepared for the worst in case you'd be needing a coffin~ hehehe!"

I glared. Oh, I'm sure he did. Glancing at the tailor who managed to procure the paper, she glanced down but frowned a bit. "Although you did manage to measure her, I have some I require that are missing from the page. So, my friend, I suppose you'll have to change into that slip, after all. Also, forgo the undergarments. These will need to be as close as possible."

I blanked. Of course, it would.

…

A few uncomfortable few hours later, I was changing back into my casual "traveler's" clothes as she scribbled down the last measurement from outside my room. I'd managed to discuss the types of styles and kinds of clothing I preferred, and she most graciously agreed, much to my surprise. It wasn't often you found lenient British women.

The great thing, too, was that the drawings I made of Victorian clothes were taken into account with also gothic/steampunk themes - those I had to explain in great detail - but overall, I think it would work great. I managed to squeeze in having pockets as well, but we'll have to see in a few weeks.

As for the concern for my scars, although I could feel her burning stare, she was completely occupied with her work. I was prepared to make up some story, but the most I'd gotten from her were shock, then a deep thoughtfulness, and then professionalism. She chose to ignore them. Oddly enough, I went along with it. I just hoped me overseeing this wouldn't pose a huge problem.

Afterwards, she left with a cheerful wave and some biscuits as thanks from the Undertaker as we resumed our work stations. I'm pretty sure the mouthful I gave her ought to have inspired a few ideas of her own. After all, I did give her the freedom to add any inspirations she found that would fit better. She had the experience after all.

All that remained was dealing with Undertaker who'd managed to progress some in his work. He was actually working on the coffins for his guests now. I, for the most part, had some much needed catching up to do.

I had just sat down when Undertaker spoke.

"By the way, in case you were hungry, I left some tea and biscuits at your desk while you were busy~" He was, for the moment, occupied with sewing a lining into the coffin, but his face was directed towards me. It was kind of unsettling but also admirable to have mastered a skill so well you didn't even need to look.

I nodded, murmuring my thanks as I sipped from the beaker. With biscuit in hand, I endeavored to finish at least yesterday's and today's paperwork so I wouldn't be so overloaded tomorrow. Even if I was exhausted just from having a tailor fuss over taking measurements.

"So, I've been thinking~"

I looked up curiously. "Hm?"

He smiled knowingly. "When were you going to tell me about your little demon?"

The tip of my pen broke as I stared straight at him, a dead weight settling in my stomach. My God. How long had he known?

09/30/18


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: And I'm back! I'm so pleased with this one. Done in about a day or two. Kinda amazed me. So here, our awaiting cliff hanger is resolved. I tried explaining her true nature as best as I can, but if there's any more confusion, do tell in the reviews so I can address it in future chapters. Also, I may make a little quick Halloween omake. I've been mulling it over a while and decided it's worth a shot. Thirdly, we will be encountering our first mystery with the Phantomhives although it may be the last concerning Vincent. You'll have to forgive me for any lapses in plot since it is my first time writing a mystery. However, I'll try my best.

As for reviewers, much thanks to AwesomeFangirlOtaku01 and 8shadesofmadness. I'm so sorry for neglecting to respond and give a shout out last chapter since I was in a rush to upload.

8shadesofmadness: No problem, and I mean 18 yrs old. 21 years old is when we're finally allowed to consume alcoholic beverages, so just slightly out of reach (in case you didn't know). And yes, thanks for your concern about college. Thankfully, it's been smooth sailing. Hopefully, I can keep it up for the next semester.

AwesomeFangirlOtaku01: No, this isn't a crossover with Vampire Knight, but it's a bit funny that you mention that. I haven't watched the animae nor read the manga, but is there a character like/named Zero? That would be interesting to know. And as for the theories, great ideas that I've entertained when I was creating Rachel. However, your closest one would be the demon which will be explained in the chapter below. I did temporarily think about making her a vampire, but I think what I have is much better. I kind of got the inspiration from Supernatural from the episode that concerns a being like Rachel. And thank you for enjoying this story. I really hope it continues to meet your expectations because if I write something, I'd like it to be something I would enjoy reading, myself. As for the Two Ciels, it is canon, but also, it spices up the plot, so I figured why not? After all, it is the defining feature of Kuroshitsuji, so who can deny that? Anyhow, please read on and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroshitsuji nor will I ever. Everything read not included in Kuroshitsuji are my ideas and characters alone unless mentioned otherwise.

Chapter 8  
Rachel's POV (1st)  
 _Keep your cool, don't freak out._ I had expected him to catch on eventually, but certainly not so soon. But I also hadn't expected him to wait this long to interrogate me about my true nature either.

Subtly gathering my composure, I made myself relax, putting down the pen in favor for the biscuits and tea. Nothing works better than a distraction. "Why are you asking?" I blew at the hot tea before taking a sip, decidedly feeling calmer since the anxiousness wore off.

He still had that sly smile on that face as if he knew I'd been busted. "You're not even going to deny it?~"

I shrugged. "What's the point? I didn't think I was that obvious, but then again, you may as well have already figured it out. I kind of did expect you to notice anyways." I looked down at the beaker, the warm glass heating my cold hands.

"Oh? Seems the time traveler has her secrets, eh~ Hihihi!" At this point, he'd finished hemming the coffin and decided to settle on one of his coffins for a more focused discussion.

"I suppose. So, what gave me away?" I looked up nonchalantly, curious at his answer. I was sure to not have been too obvious. Being passed out was far beyond my control however. Was it because of how fast I healed?

"Nothing. Rather, you were far too cautious~"

I lifted an eyebrow. Wasn't that a good thing. Unless if he meant…

"Call it intuition, if you will~" He grinned crookedly at that, as if amused at his own choice of words. He pulled a biscuit from his sleeve and broke into it, disregarding the mounting tension in the air. "You're quite evasive in your mannerisms, a bit too perfect in my opinion. You might want to watch for that, love~"

Ah. So it was that.

"But, you are correct~ I must say, you'd have to know a bit about me to have had those expectations, no?"

I had to smirk a little bit. So he noticed that, too. "Correct." I had to appreciate how he subtly directed the attention back to me, to try and make me spill my secrets. But, if he wanted to play games, then so can I. "So, then, what is it you wanted to know?"

For a second, Undertaker seemed taken aback. Maybe he wasn't expecting me to be so compliant?

"Just because you know something doesn't mean I'm going to tell everything. You can ask, doesn't mean I'll always answer." I rose an eyebrow at him, berating him for thinking I'd be that open.

He snickered, understanding the rules of the game that I'd established. For now, he looked content to play along, but I'd bet you that he had something up his sleeve. He steepled his hands, leaning his chin on them as he played his first move. "Very well. First of all, let's start with me~"

I snorted. "Of course."

He smirked. "How is it that you're familiar with me?~"

If he purposely arranged his words to make them suggestive, I paid them no mind. "It's not just you, but all the central characters. What I mean by characters is that all this, you, the Earl, his sons, are all a plot from a work of fiction. I'm not sure if this is some kind of alternate universe or the same universe I've been in all along, but it's safe to say that I know my way around the plot. At least, the important bits."

He tilted his head, taking a moment to digest everything. It was quite overwhelming to process, but knowing him, he'd take any advantage for the upper hand. "Mind telling me what this plot entails?~"

I stayed silent. I couldn't risk him knowing for fear that he'd alter the future, and it seemed he came to the same conclusion based on his growing grin.

"Alright, then next, why are you here?"

I shrugged again. "Your guess is as good as mine. I don't know if I'm supposed to do something or fix something. It's unnerving if its the former since the latter would be easier." He nodded his head in agreement, understanding why which meant, so far, he was still with me.

"And how is it that you came here? Can you go back whenever you wanted?" He was leaning forward now, his childish persona slightly gone in exchange for his curiosity.

I was quiet for a moment before hesitantly pulling out the broken hand watch, the glass cracked from when I struck it with my sword during my last assignment which was still ironically stopped at the exact time before I came to this universe. It dangled from its chain, glinting off the dying sunlight. "Just when I was finishing my last assignment, my target had this pocket watch which allowed her to control time." Undertaker perked up suddenly but I ignored it in lieu of finishing my story first. "I had planned on destroying it first to make eliminating her easier, but she was adamant against it. However, I was too preoccupied, and when I destroyed it, I ended up here. I don't remember anything except waking up in your coffin."

Undertaker was frowning at this point, and it made me quite apprehensive. There wasn't much to make this fool upset, but right now, it made him unpredictable. "Have you thought of fixing it?"

I blinked at him before glancing at the broken watch. "The thought has crossed my mind, but I would think it's a bit more complicated than that."

His mouth quirked upward in agreement, yet he still smartly replied, "You'll never know if you never try~"

I glared sourly at him. "I'm getting there."

He chuckled, dropping the serious facade. Truly, it didn't suit someone like him, but it did make him terrifying. To a degree. "So I take it you're stuck here for the time being~"

I nodded, focusing on the broken hand watch before a sudden movement caught my eye. Black robes entered my line of vision and I looked up to see him lift the hand watch closely to his face with his clawed hands, inspecting it for clues, possibly. Surely the fringe didn't help, but I remained silent.

"Stuck here and no way home, hmm?~" He contemplated to himself silently, turning the watch this way and that before letting it go to see it swing from side to side as I was still holding up the chain. "I do know of someone who can repair these kinds. It is worth looking into if it means finding your way back home~"

Well, that's nice of him. I nodded but pocketed the watch anyway. "It's not that big a loss, really." Based on the look of his face, I knew he was skeptical. True, there would be some people I would miss and maybe the convenience of the lifestyle itself, but change was a nice alternative to stress. I shrugged. "My home isn't as welcoming as you've been the past few days."

Undertaker smiled a bit softly, a hint of a sharp edge to it as if understanding the grim underlining of truth there, and based on the little regard I gave of my world, he didn't think it'd be worth questioning. So, he moved on to the next question. "Very well. Leading to my next question~ Although you did answer how you know about this world quite vaguely, I'd like you to address how you know /me/ specifically.~"

Oh boy, he's a sharp one. He definitely noticed that I tried skirting around that. Oh well. "About that… Well, I'll be blunt. What I know of so far, you're a reaper, retired around a half century ago and you have ties to the Phantomhive family as their informant. That's it. Anything else is beyond my knowledge other than speculations of my own." Rather than beat around the bush, I preferred to save time.

His silence was quite daunting, but the faint smile on his lips was a bit comforting. I'm guessing he wasn't worried about me knowing that much then. "And this information derives from this fictitious work, you say~?"

I nodded. "To be honest with you, it's quite popular, but in terms of world population, it's not common knowledge. This would only pertain to the small percentage of manga/animae fans which don't account for much. For example, if you took a walk in the park in my world, chances are, people won't know you, but you never know. They may think it's just really good cosplay however."

He tilted his head. "Cosplay?"

I half-heartedly shrugged. "Basically you dressing up as yourself. For example, if I dressed myself to look like the Earl, even getting a wig for his bluish hair, that would be considered cosplay."

He giggled at the idea. "My, how amusing~" He leaned back and crossed his legs.

Well, I suppose I survived. For now. Maybe it's just me trying to look like Vincent that hit his funny bone. After all, I was still quite stuck-up, if you could call it that.

"Now then, about this demon of yours~ Tell me how it works since it feels like there's two presences but only one of 'you'."

Ah, yes, that. I do so loved messing around with my targets with that. Especially when they get confused. "Alright, well, first of all, I'm what you would consider half-demon. Therefore, I maintain human qualities but I also have some demon qualities. For now, I'm in my human form: Rachel, if you will. This is the form I prefer most since I'm mostly in control. I do have urges every now and then, but they're not as powerful and this is pertaining to sins such as killing, pride, lust, etc. My demon form: Ruth, is more powerful considering I would be a fully-fledged demon, but I haven't shed my 'human' self. However, me being a half-demon makes me stronger than either breed which gives me an edge.

"Unfortunately, my 'demon' self is somewhat of a separate entity so it does require high maintenance to sustain it. How I do so is through my missions. Whenever I eliminate my target, the soul replenishes it's power via my sword. Therefore, I don't need to eat souls per se. However, I can't fully give in to my demon self as well as I'm not as conscious to make decisions as I am now. You'd pretty much be talking to a different person but in the same body. Also, they can take over, although its not often, but the times they do, I have no awareness of their actions, so full disclaimer, but I'm not actually in control of what Ruth may do or say. I can only prevent it so long as my demon is compliant."

"Ah~ Well now, that's quite convenient, I must say. A demon with a conscience! Hi hi hi, who would've thought?" He seemed more amused than threatened which I took for a good sign. "And what would happen if you happened to give in to your demon or fully surrender your human form?"

"Well, for one, if the demon took over, I'd be in some kind of limbo and not know that Ruth had taken over unless if someone told me. Second, if I gave up my human self, 'Rachel' would cease to exist and all that would remain is simply 'Ruth'. At least, that's what I think. I'm not sure, but this isn't one I'd want to experiment with."

Undertaker nodded, agreeing on that thought. He was, however, still insatiably curious, I could tell.

"Anything else you wanted to know?" I rose an eyebrow, wondering whether or not he wanted to end the interrogation.

Undertaker hummed, tapping his nail on his chin before perking. "These traits of yours~ Are they interchangeable?" He was grinning excitedly, even leaning forward as his hands rested on the edge of my desk, trying to tower over me.

I leaned back, uncomfortable with the sudden intrusion. "By interchangeable, you mean borrow my demon power while in human form? Yes, but there's a limit. If I wanted full access, I'd have to fully convert, and you can tell since you can sense it. And yes, my appearance changes, too. Calm down."

I glared at him disapprovingly as he shut his mouth, but he grinned, indifferent. I shook my head but continued.

"Even as a human, my senses are quite heightened, so it'll come off as though I'm extremely talented. Hence my skills in piano and even drawing. Really, I could be a perfectionist in everything like a demon, but even I'm bothered to a degree of how perfectly I can do things, so I limit them as much as possible. This can apply to pretty much anything, as I'm sure you're aware of. But to be honest, I'm enough of an asshole as it is, so I practice self-control."

Undertaker laughed at that, leaning back to give me my personal space. "So you say! Hihihi! Mighty honest of you for a demon~"

I shrugged. "I suppose."

He grinned. "I see~ Very interesting, love, interesting indeed." He suddenly walked behind my desk, plopping right next to me on the coffin I was sitting on and put an arm around my shoulders. "This clears things up, now, doesn't it? How lucky I am to have such a talented assistant~" He squeezed my shoulder, smirking as I shoved his hand off but he replaced it anyway.

"Sure," I replied, blankly glancing at him before sighing. "Are you done now?"

He grinned but said nothing else, opting to instead remove his arm and lean back on his hands and enjoy the silence. I followed suit, glancing back at the forgotten biscuits and tea. I decided to eat them anyway to pass the time, and his head turned to me while I was munching.

"What? They're gonna go to waste if I don't eat them."

He snickered. "Did you want me to warm up your tea?"

I shook my head. "Cold tea is fine. I don't care either way." He snickered but I ignored him, finishing up my snack.

We sat there in companionable silence for a while. I was sure he had other stuff to do, but ever since he'd decided on the impromptu interview, I felt less stressed. Perhaps this meant I could relax a bit more around him. I suddenly frowned. But that meant he could, too. And knowing people like him, he wouldn't be afraid to showcase his talents.

I glanced at him, viewing his calm profile as he mulled over the information quietly before his gaze rested on mine, tilting his head inquisitively.

"I'll finish up the paperwork for today before retiring for the night, if that's okay with you."

He chuckled. "I'm sure you will. As for I~ I have my much needed beauty sleep~"

I snorted as he grinned at me, patting my shoulder before taking my beaker and the empty tray. I was already finishing up by the time he'd finished washing his dishes and settling into the coffin.

"Nighty night, little demon~"

I glanced at him, playfully grinning at me with a wave before I snorted again. "Yeah, night to you, too."

His laugh was the last thing I heard before I closed the door and headed to my room.

…

The next morning started out as normally as any other day. Except this time, I could tell he was up to something.

The extra bounce to his step either meant more guests were coming, or something was up. Neither meant well for me either way.

I rose an eyebrow as I entered the kitchen, donned in a simple black shirt and pants. He was humming and swaying all over the place, cooking eggs and bacon based on the scent.

"Well, you seem to be in a good mood…" I glanced sideways at him. "…Er, better mood than usual."

He grinned widely at me, giggling like a naughty schoolboy. I could only sweat drop in response. What could he possibly be up to?

The question must've been all over my face since he giggled and twitched, a little bit of drool tracing its way down his chin which I eyed with distaste. I waited patiently for him to speak as he flipped the eggs. "Well now, m'dear, it seems you'll have to wait for the surprise~ I'm sure the Earl can explain in detail later. After all, he'll be dropping by for a visit~" His voice had adopted a mysterious narrative-like tone which, of course, implied the obvious.

"And this has nothing to do with pleasantries, I take it?" I played along, keeping a blank face as he grinned pleasantly. He looked pleased that I'd caught on.

"Correct, m'dear~ Lately, a riot's going on about a murder mystery. The death of a few young bachelor's who's involved with a quite well-known noblewoman! Speculation's been going around, hihihi~" He was hugging himself, apparently more than excited about the actual bodies than the case itself.

"I see, and I'm guessing the bodies will be making their way here?"

He nodded fervently, his top hat bobbing with the motion as its liripipe danced with the motion. "That it has been, m'dear~ Why don't you be a dear and clean up a little after breakfast? I'm sure this place needs a touch here and there."

"Say no more." I couldn't have agreed more heartily.

Naturally, he replied with a giggle.

An hour later found me sweeping the floor with a broom. I'd taken it upon myself to clean this place top to bottom. Not an inch of his shop would be spared. The egregious layers of dust had me wearing a thin cloth over my nose and mouth to spare me the amount of sneezing I would've otherwise suffered.

Undertaker, of course, claimed innocence for the apparent crime he was oblivious to. Sure, he had bad sight for a reaper, but that didn't give him any excuse. Even if it did contribute some creepy factor to his occupation as a mortician, he wouldn't be doing justice to his guests. And apparently, that claim more than convinced him to give in.

So now, fast forward to poor ole me, wiping down the shelves. Even his books were coated in dust, and that in itself was an insult to literature. The nerve.

After pointing one rightfully deserved glare in his direction that had him pouting, I resumed my work with a huff, replacing books I'd taken off the shelves. Skimming the select literature he stored, although the majority were of anatomy and scientific texts, he did have the odd genre here and there that I filed in memory for a read if I ever had the time. Hopefully that would be often. Currently wiping down another book, I stared at the title. /Les Misérables/.

Yup. Definitely a must read.

I glanced back at the Undertaker before holding up the book. "Did you know that this book is considered a classic in my time?"

Undertaker looked up curiously with a smile. "Oh?"

I hummed. "Literature like this are incredibly popular in our education system. They had us read /Jane Eyre/ by Charlotte Bronte and even /Adventures of Huckleberry Finn/."

"And I take it you enjoy them?~"

I shrugged. "Some. There are a few that I've made it a goal to read, like /War and Peace/ or /Anna Karenina/. Possibly even /Wuthering Heights/ if I have the time."

He tilted his head for a moment, glad for the distraction since he was currently tortured with paperwork for the time being. A rather much deserved punishment in my opinion. (He had whined about it for quite some time, but having proved to have a backbone he couldn't fight against, he gave in.) "I do believe I have some in my collection that you are more than welcome to browse for entertainment, if you'd like?"

I rose an eyebrow at him. Was he trying to appease me?

His innocent smile seemed to prove that theory, but I'll take it where I can get it. "Sure. Thanks, I suppose."

"Hihihi~ You're more than welcome, my dear."

Okay.

The bell ringing as the door opened grabbed our attention to a London police officer who had two others carrying a stretcher with a body covered with a white cloth.

"Delivery for the Undertaker from Lord Phantomhive."

"Ah, that's my cue~" He giggled as he stepped forward with a slouch.

The officer looked up before paling significantly. I had to hold in my snort as best as I could.

"R-right. Anyhow, where would you like the body, sir?"

Undertaker pointed at the examination table with a wide grin, making the two other police men gulp with fear before approaching cautiously. Then, they all noticed me and there was a pause.

They blinked.

I blinked.

"Sir, who is this?"

Undertaker giggled, walking until he was behind me and draping his arms over my shoulders like he did when the Earl was here. "Why, my dear assistant~"

The police blinked dumbly before looking at me again. Then back at Undertaker. "Um, sir, we'll have to ask her to leave. This isn't an appropriate sight for a woman-"

"She's my assistant~ She'll have to get used to these if she is to work by my side, after all, so don't worry your little minds about it!"

Um, hello? I'm right here.

I looked up to find that he was grinning a bit madly, perhaps why I was garnering some pitying looks, but I paid them no mind. I was an assassin so this was no big deal. It's not like they didn't know.

Seeing that had no other purpose but to drop off the body, they quickly took their leave. It was almost pitiful how desperate they were to escape Undertaker. Speaking of which.

I looked up at him, feeling his chin dig into my head as I did so. "You need to stop making a habit of doing that."

He blinked owlishly. "Doing what, m'dear?"

"That and this. Whatever you're doing to me right now."

He blinked again. "Why not?~"

I sighed. "Because this is why you have no friends."

He pouted with all his might. "What about the Earl?"

I looked at him like he was an idiot. "He doesn't count since you're his informant."

Undertaker huffed before removing himself from my person, crossing his arms defensively. "I, too, can make friends!"

I lifted a doubtful brow. "Oh?"

"Mm-hmm!" His head bobbed vigorously.

"How so?"

A pause. Then a wide grin. "Starting with you~"

I stilled, face blank as a slate.

No.

No way.

Not in a million years.

I was pretty sure that whatever was left of my soul just flew out the door with those police men.

10/26/18


	9. Halloween Omake

A/N: Alright, so, first off, Happy Halloween! Since my family doesn't celebrate it, however, I decided to do so through this chapter. I'm undecided on whether this should be accepted as canon since it's severely out of the timeline given my story is somewhere in August, lol, but we'll see. For now, just accept it as a special for today. For all those unlucky peeps stuck at home, hope you enjoy, and stay safe!

As for reviewers, much thanks for AwesomeFangirlOtaku01 and 8shadesofmadness for the awesome reviews. And to my silent readers, thanks for the favs/follows. Your support is motivation for me to right!

8shadesofmadness: You're very close. Technically, she has a demon living inside of her as they "share" the same body but it's more of like she's the host, and the demon feeds through the sword through which she assassinates people."Rachel" becomes "Ruth" during missions because that's when her demon activates (either half or fully demon) and she acts on orders when someone uses her name. And yes, Ruth has a personality of her own in which she's far more detached so that she's more logic/reason based in decisions. Rachel is the personality she uses around people she's intimate with or trusts such as close friends and whatnot. Ruth is for dealing with others outside her social circle. And it's not that her power becomes too much to handle, rather, she allows (prefers) her other personality to take the reins which means she can take over, but through experience and learning, she's learned emotions have a huge impact on actions hence why she chooses impartiality. As for the actual demon, well, you'll have to see.

AwesomeFangirlOtaku01: Their relationship meaning Rachel and Undertaker? Or someone else? Sorry, it was a bit vague since I don't know to what you're referencing from, however, yes, her form is definitely interesting, and it'll be even more so once she starts interacting with Sebastian. And lmao, of course, you choose to focus on lust on all things. Rachel for now doesn't understand emotions, such as love, much less lust, but because of her demon, she can recognize it, even smell it (scent), so you'll definitely know she's always on the lookout. That's interesting to know, though. He even has the same name from Vampire Knight. Interesting tidbit. Might watch, might not. Anyhow, thank you for the info and enjoy the chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroshitsuji nor will I ever. Everything read not included in the manga are my ideas and characters alone unless mentioned otherwise.

Halloween omake  
"Deary~ We're gonna be late~"

I threw a glare at the sweeping voice outside my door. The last few weeks, he'd gotten balls deep into preparing for Halloween. I don't know what possessed him to do this, but we (or mainly I) put up decorations around the clock, not that his shop needed any help. However, a few carved pumpkins here, some candles there, and the ambience of his shop amplified its creepiness even more. It probably didn't help that he'd made it his life's mission to include jump scaring his guests. What this guy was trying to accomplish was beyond me at this point.

And now, the Phantomhive Halloween party. Really, it was more of a festival of harvest for the benefit of the citizens, but surprisingly, Vincent invited us for whatever reason. So now, Undertaker would have to temporarily close business so we could attend.

Which brings us to the present me struggling to put on the costume Undertaker persuaded - or rather assigned - me to wear. He'd decided that we'd pair up our costume, and ironically, he wanted to dress up like a skeleton while I became the corpse bride. Of course, that made me think of "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and their starred characters Jack Skellington and Sally, so when I drew the characters for Undertaker, he immediately wanted to try it. No surprise. He pulled out a suit and had the tailor, the same one who made my clothes, add the finishing touches so it'd be similar to my drawing as well as use a dress to fit the theme.

Now, I was having quite a bit of trouble tying up the corset. I decided to do the makeup last since it'd be easier once we had all our clothes on.

I sighed. No use at all trying to do it myself. I stomped to the door, pulling it open so quickly that even Undertaker was caught off guard. "Here, you need to tie up my corset. I'm not going to waste my time trying to do it on my own."

He snickered, immediately setting to work. "I see~ Wise decision, my dear."

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, yes. Afterwards, I need to work on your makeup as well as mine. Did you want anything done to your nails?"

"Hmm~ Decisions, decisions~ What do you think, dear? Ah, and lean over here, if you would be so kind? It'll be easier for me to tighten~" He pointed a sharp nail towards the bed, and immediately I stilled.

This was the part I dreaded most. The first time I experienced a corset, I felt like I couldn't breathe more than half the day. The pain became so excruciating that I immediately used a kunai to cut them loose. Of course, Undertaker busted a gut over my desperation, but he'd had me practice weeks prior every other day. The pain eventually lessened, but it didn't mean it wasn't an absolute inconvenience to have to breathe right so I didn't pass out.

I sighed in frustration but followed his directions, hands gripping the wood in front of me. His foot rose up and rested on the footboard next to me, and inevitably, I felt the tugs progressively become tighter. Suddenly, I felt a sharp tug and squeaked. "Hey! Not so tight!" I glared back at him to find him innocently pouting. My eyes narrowed further.

"Hmm? But you didn't answer my question~" He maintained his pout, resuming his work until he deemed the laces tight enough. By the time he was done, I had to take a moment to recover.

Taking a careful deep breath, I managed to accommodate what little space the corset allowed my lungs to expand before turning to him. "Okay, so your nails." A grin and a nod was my reply. Right. "I can do them, but I'll do your face first. You wanted a skeleton? I can make it realistic, but you'll have to tell me if you want any finishing touches added." I was pulling out makeup sets, foundation, etc. for whatever was needed.

He only giggled. "Do what you have to, love~ I don't mind either way."

I guess that was his consent to letting me see his face. Not that it was a problem, but ever since confessing my little secret, he didn't care for maintaining his facade as a human. Well, who cares, really? I still had my makeup to do as well. I'll have to finish quick if we had any hopes of getting to the Phantomhive manor on time.

I looked back, raising my eyebrow, and seeing as he did nothing but grin, I shrugged before pulling away his bangs. And of course, his face came into view. The first thing I registered were acidic green eyes with hints of yellow throughout. And of course, since the building was somewhat dark, the glow of his double iris only enhanced his ethereal look. We stared for a bit, me processing with a blank face as he smirked. Eventually, I turned away, deciding to forgo the foundation. He was already pale enough. I turned back with a type of thin brush in hand to find him donning a forlorn look.

"What?"

"You didn't react at all despite seeing my face for the first time." His lower lip stuck out.

That's what he was hurt about? "Well, of course. The manga showed your face anyway."

He crossed his arms with a pout. "Hmph! Not fair~"

I snorted. Then smirked. "If it helps, it seemed that you not having eyebrows in the manga is proven true since I can't see any on you."

And of course, he lit up like a Christmas tree. "Is that so? And is that a bad thing?" He tilted his head, batting his eyelashes.

I deadpanned. "Dunno. What do you think?" Since he had no eyebrows for me to use as a guide, I would have to estimate where the eye socket for the skull should be drawn.

He whined. "Killjoy~"

"Yeah, yeah, now hush. If you have any hopes of attending, I have to finish quickly." I had him sit on the footboard of the bed since he was a bit tall, and raising my arms so much would tire them out quickly which would end up being counterproductive in the long run. As I traced the perimeter of his eyes using the brush, the weight of his stare was quite unnerving, and I ended up rambling just to take my mind off it. "You know, there's an artist named Mimi Choi who makes optical illusions of her face using makeup."

"Oh? Is that where you got your inspiration from?" He was careful to keep a blank face so that my drawing wouldn't be messed up.

"No, this came from someone else. But it popped up on the news because of how good her skills are. I'll have to show you sometime." I'd finished drawing the two sockets by now, comparing them to make sure they weren't off before deciding to work on the jaw. The shading in wasn't hard, but I didn't shade everything in that way I could add some eye shadowing to give his appearance a more gothic look.

"I see~ How interesting."

I hummed before getting serious again. "Ok, you can't talk for this part since I'll be doing the jaw portion of the skull, and the proportions have to be accurate if I'm gonna pull this off accurately." All I got was a nod, and seeing as he got the message, I began the careful job of detailing the teeth and contours of the jaw. Eventually, I was so deep in my work that I'd neglected my earlier worries, focused on shading in and outlining the teeth of the skull before finishing up the nose. Lastly, I added small details such as various indents and squiggly lines along the sockets to make them more realistic.

Afterwards, I leaned back with a sigh, seeing him let loose a grin that he must've been holding back. My eyebrow ticked. That must explain why he was twitching so much. "Alright, I'm done. You can go to the mirror-"

I hadn't even finished talking before he shot out of the headboard and into the bathroom like a bullet. I blinked before shaking my head with a half-smirk. He must've been super curious, and based on the exclamation of delight, he must've really liked it. I walked over to the bathroom to find him inspecting his face from various angles, side to side before finding me in the reflection. His grin spread like wildfire and my lips twitched despite my self-control to not grin like a fool.

"Do you like it?"

He scoffed. "Like it? I love it!~ You've done a marvelous job, my dear!" He was even inspecting his neck where I'd added in the cervical region of the spine on a whim, admiring the workmanship.

"Alright, alright, you can gawk later. I still need to do your nails."

He perked before rushing back into my bedroom.

I paused, eyebrow raised before joining him in the bedroom, sitting where he was previously and wagging his foot excitedly.

Well, at least he can behave himself. I think.

…

About an hour and a half later, we were on a carriage transporting us to the Phantomhive manor. To say that the Undertaker and I's appearances rose a few eyebrows was the understatement of the year. People ogled, gaped, gossiped, you name it. Whether it was from interest, disgust, we dismissed it as per usual. People either liked it or they didn't. Even the driver of the carriage took a few moments to recover since the sight was such a shock to him. He was at first reluctant, but after hearing about our destination, he couldn't risk refusing or else his actions would reflect on his services, so he relented.

As of now, Undertaker still admired himself in the reflection, glancing at me every now and then with giggly excitement. I simply shook my head with amused exasperation before staring out the window. /He's such a child./ I snorted at the thought.

Having seen the other pedestrians as we passed by, I noticed that their costumes weren't as bold as Undertaker and I. At the most, they only wore hats to pull off an angel or a demon, or even a cat. I furrowed my brow. Did we go too far? Undertaker certainly didn't mind, and the pumpkin idea was far more fascinating to him than a bunch of turnips.

Oh well. He can always wash it off.

Eventually, the Phantomhive manor rolled into view and Vincent and the twins were waiting for us impatiently. I could tell they were eager for us to join, and despite the lack of dress up for the theme itself, they still wore nice matching outfits for the occasion. Already, I could feel Undertaker's anxiousness from here. He was definitely going to scare the living shit out of those kids. Before the carriage could make a complete stop, I turned around and tugged his sleeve, immediately grabbing his attention.

"Do not kill any children today."

The statement alone made his grin falter momentarily before an even crazier one replaced it. "Now, now, dear~ A little bit of excitement isn't gonna hurt anyone!" He was giggling, and already, I could feel my stomach dropped.

As soon as the carriage pulled to a stop, through the window, I could see Vincent approaching with the kids. As soon as they were close enough, Undertaker swung the door wide open, claws poised, yelling, "Boo!~"

Both the kids screamed, running behind Vincent as I facepalmed. I was too embarrassed to show my face, but the Earl's hesitant query made me peek out. "Undertaker? Is that you?"

"Hihihi! Right you are, milord. And my lovely assistant should be inside hiding, cute little thing~"

My eye twitched. The asshole. He was taunting me! I huffed, immediately exiting the carriage as everyone but the Undertaker, merely smirked, balked at my appearance. "Some nerve you have!"

Undertaker cackled loudly as Vincent recovered. "Ms. Rachel?"

I looked back at him with an raised eyebrow. "Is this going to be a problem?"

Vincent blinked. "Hm, well, it will certainly be an eye opener for the folks visiting today. Did you have something to do with the face paint?" Obviously, he was referring to the makeup skull on Undertaker's face as well as my design which consisted of stitches along with light blue hints of shade to pull off a corpse-like appearance. And, of course, since Undertaker's face was in view but fully masked by the makeup drawing, there was no problem really. Even his scar was well-hidden which left his eyes, but for today, I don't think it should pose much of an issue."For today, I believe, it's alright. We can have you interact with the guests to enhance the experience, after all."

Well… isn't that lovely. I paled, but the makeup hid it of course. "Why don't I let Undertaker take care of that? I can do something else, like face paint."

"You can do that?" Vincent looked astonished idea, so much so that I had to hold in a sound of amusement. If only he knew.

"Sure. It's quite common where I come from, even in other festivals outside of Halloween." I observed him processing the information.

"I see. Hence the idea for dressing up and the facial makeup."

I nodded. "Pretty much."

Vincent beamed. "Excellent. We'll use that, then. Undertaker here will lure in children and you can do the painting." He seemed happy with the plan. "The paint isn't harmful, of course?"

I shook my head. "You can wash it off." His nod was all I needed for approval.

Great. I've incorporated American ingenuity at a British harvest festival. Go me.

With that decided, we'd gone on ahead to the garden where the festival would take place, and of course, it was nothing extravagant compared to what I've seen. The place was dimly lit with lanterns hung around while carved turnips littered the place. A few decorations here and there with lots of food and games mainly for children. The place had a beauty of its own, however, and the servants did well to compliment the theme of the festival using their environment. Might as well scope out a spot for me to settle so I could do face painting.

Scanning the area, I could feel more than see the heavy stares of guests around us, but as I searched, the ideal spot came in a corner of the garden, slightly obscured from view but well lit enough for me to work without needing a light. Perfect. I headed over, Undertaker tailing me and waving at the kids every so often, giggling when they withdrew in fear. Still, you could see the curiosity in their stares, wondering if what they were seeing was even real. While I set up, I felt two new presences and looked over my shoulder to find the twins. Ciel, being the bravest, drew nearer while the younger hanged back. I guess they'd gotten over the fear.

"Miss Rachel?"

"Hm?"

Ciel pointed to one of the drawn stitches. "Are they real?"

Hm. How should I answer that? "Well, you see, an accident occurred, and Undertaker had to patch me up. So, this is the result." They both blinked. Then a moment of silence before I ended up snickering. "Just kidding, they're not. But keep it a secret, alright? You'll spoil the surprise." I crouched down and held a finger to my lips and they grinned before copying me with a giggle.

"Don't worry, Miss Rachel! We won't say anything!~" Both the boys crowded me before jumping me for a hug.

"Oi!" Their enthusiastic laughter, of course, drowned out my cry for help, so I was stuck with two kids clinging to my neck. And, per usual, Undertaker chose the worst possible time to show up.

"Ara~ Seems my little assistant has been caught! Hihihi~" He loomed over us, hand covering his mouth as he giggled unabashedly.

Glaring up at him, I retorted, "Yeah, thanks for the protection because I really didn't need it, after all." Of course, my tone laden with sarcasm did nothing but amuse him so I opted to ignore him. "Hey, did you two want me to paint your face?" I patted them both on the head so they would let go.

They looked at each other before Ciel perked up. "I should get Lizzy, too!" We both watched Ciel go before I looked at the youngest twin.

"So, bocchan, I guess you're up first. I'll just have you sit on this chair and we'll get started, alright?" Since he didn't seem to need any help, I got started taking out the brushes and paint before grabbing a chair and pulling it in front of him. "Okay, so what would you like me to paint?"

He blinked before staring at my makeup again. "Can it be like yours?"

I shrugged. "Sure, or I could draw a mask, or something small on your cheek like a pumpkin. Anything you like."

He mulled over it a while, still unsure. "I want it to match with Ciel, though."

I nodded. "I can see why. How about I draw you a mask? That way you and Master Ciel can match and Lady Elizabeth's design compliments yours?"

He nodded ecstatically. "Yeah! And add spiders and webs, too!"

I smiled a bit. "Not a problem. Alright, you need to stay very still for me, and close your eyes. Try not to move your eyes, no matter how odd the brush feels." I dipped in the brush before starting the base. I had to stop every so often when he giggled before I could continue, but eventually, I managed to add some swirls, a spider, and a bit of webs. Mixing in dark blue with black helped highlight some features of the mask as well as his eyes, and once Ciel and Elizabeth joined us, more children started coming over. Guess I didn't need Undertaker, after all.

…

I slumped against the table, exhausted. My last customer had pranced away with a happy smile, showing off to her relatives and friends. I hadn't expected my face painting to become so popular among the kids. There were a few young adults who wanted to try out the activity, but at least thirty kids visited me, inquiring about different designs. Some girls wanted a flower, a heart, a butterfly, etc while the boys liked the pumpkins, bats, stitches, and even the skeleton face. Of course, I had to let the parents know it wasn't harmful and could be washed off, but seeing as how Undertaker liked to advertise my makeup skills, I could see why so many people populated my corner of the garden.

Hearing footsteps approaching, I looked up to see the tall, lithe figure of Undertaker approaching me with baskets of candy. When they landed with a thump on the table, one peek at its contents had me groaning in disgust.

So. Much. Sweets. Yuck.

"Undertaker, I'm pretty sure I've said this before, but I don't like sweets. At all." I gave him a half-hearted glare with one eye as he waved it off.

"Please, dear~ It's Halloween for a reason! Go ahead and try some. After all, most of your customers want to convey their appreciation~" He winked at me as I glowered before deciding to suck it up. It would only be for one day. One day. That's all.

Peering into the basket, I selected a cracker which seemed to be gingersnaps. Huh. I was expecting more of frosted confectionaries, but these were commonfolk. It was easy to forget compared to modern day America how much poorer people were. I suppose this was better than nothing. Deciding that would be all I was eating, I settled back in my chair and observed the rest of the festivities with the Undertaker who happily munched away on some of the sweets. Goodness, was he a glutton.

After a few moments of silence, Undertaker broke it with a question. "So~ What did you think?"

I glanced at him before taking a moment to absorb the atmosphere. The laughter and bright smiles seemed to drown out the dimness of the area, and although it was well into the night, the lamps seemed to burn brighter. My expression relaxed as I met his smile with my own. "It wasn't so bad."

A/N: A little side note, yes, Mimi Choi is a real person and I do remember seeing her art on the news at one point. You should go ahead and check it out. As well as the skull mask makeup idea, that came from Nikkitutorials on Youtube. I'm no makeup artist nor do I use any, so I tried my best through the steps although I suspect there may be some mistakes/steps missing. If anyone would let me know, I'd greatly appreciate it.

10/31/18


	10. Chapter 9

A/N: For anyone who worried I wouldn't update, here it is. Sorry for the wait, but college exams are coming up so I had to rush this chapter a bit. However, we've arrived to our first mystery. It's a work in progress, but hopefully y'all enjoy the ride. Also, a belated Happy Thanksgiving. Hopefully, everyone had a great time. Otherwise, enjoy the story and forgive any grammar mistakes/lapses.

As for reviewers, much thanks to 8shadesofmadness, bonitalito, and steph557. My silent readers are appreciated as always, as well as the recent favorites/bookmarks. Your support helps either way.

8shadesofmadness: Defintiely am excited for character development as well, especially around Undertaker and Sebastian. Much kudos to you for staying with me since the beginning lmao, and I hope you're still around for more.

bonitalito: It'll take a while for our infamous demon to make an appearance, but according to the manga timeline, it'll be in a few month's time. Storywise, however, you'll have to see. And I hope you enjoyed your favorite holiday, btw.

steph557: I'm really glad you think so. Hopefully, you stick around for more in the future!

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroshitsuji nor will I ever. Everthing read not included in the manga are my ideas and characters alone unless mentioned otherwise.

Chapter 9  
Rachel's POV (1st)  
My eyes narrowed on his, or presumedly where they'd be under that shaggy mess of hair, when the bell above the door announced a new customer/visitor, breaking our impromptu staring match. We both looked to find Diedrich and Vincent staring at us inquisitively, the latter more amused.

"What are you two doing?" Diedrich seemed especially bothered for whatever reason.

I arched an eyebrow. "What's it to you?"

His mouth dropped, taken aback. Obviously, he wasn't expecting that answer.

But, case closed.

My attention drifted to Vincent who donned an apologetic look, holding his hands up in surrender. "Now now, we're here for business, especially one concerning a mass of bachelor's deaths. I'm sure Undertaker can fill us in."

Has this been going on since before her arrival? I glanced back to see him grin cryptically.

"I did receive a guest just now, I did, milord~ Although, rumors have been circulating round about their involvement with a certain noblewoman, it may appear to be moreso than just a coincidence. Buuuut, I'm sure Lord Phantomhive knows the value for such information, gufu~" He was already drooling, swaying from side to side.

I sweat dropped only to see Vincent step forward with a self-assured smirk. Alright, he must be rather adept at hitting Undertaker's funny bone.

"I'm sure you all quite know this, but my German dog is quite reliable for situations such as these, am I right, Diedrich?"

Correspondingly, our neighborly German sputtered with indignation. "Wha- Now, hold on just a second! That's your job, isn't it?!"

Vincent pouted. "Are you to tell me you lack the skill of telling jokes?" He seemed especially offended.

All this fuss over making Undertaker laugh?

I sighed, exasperated, seeing Undertaker smirk at my reaction. Of course, he was only mildly amused, but he still wanted his laugh.

Diedrich's eyebrow ticked before apparently growing the balls he needed to face our deranged mortician. "Fine, if this will speed up the process." He paused for dramatic effect before continuing. "Which is the most biggest rope?"

I already knew the answer, but Vincent and Undertaker said nothing.

"Europe."

A deadly silence followed before a I facepalmed so hard that it actually made a sound. Even /the Undertaker/ was frowning. Vincent only sighed in humiliation. "Oh Diedrich, how could I ever doubt you?"

I snorted. "Probably because he comes up with the most pathetic joke to exist. I've even got a better one." Diedrich flushed on the side, but I ignored him. "What do you call a German virgin?"

Vincent looked distraught at the question, as if appalled that a woman could speak so vulgar. Diedrich couldn't look more red without becoming a tomato while Undertaker started to grin.

"Good n' Tight."

There was a pause before Undertaker burst out in tears, falling to the ground with heaving breaths. His hand was slapping the floor from laughing so hard while I maintain a blank face. Vincent tried hard to keep from smirking that he ended up covering his mouth with a hand while Diedrich's mouth flapped like a fish.

I rubbed my forehead. "Undertaker, we need to get going."

Said mortician twitched on the floor, a few giggles escaping as he slumped over a coffin, apparently giving up from trying to get up. "Hihihi... so good, my dear, so good~" His clawed hand gripped the edge of the coffin while he recovered his sanity. "Ah, now where were we~ Right, the noblewoman, yes? See, every one of my clients have had an unfortunate event of arsenic poisoning, most probably masked as food poisoning, but you can distinguish because of the internal hemorrhaging. The intestines and stomach do have physiological changes not to mention quite a bit of black urine and diarrhea." Undertaker's nose crinkled, likely from recalling having to open up the body and actually encounter the fluids with his bare hands.

I shuddered. Not the most enjoyable experience.

"However, the decaying process held most of my interest because of its peculiarity to resist decay, even months on end unless if you cut up the body and boil it in distilled water, remove the organic remains with nitric acid, and you can see traces of arsenic~" Undertaker was grinning quite widely at this point, enjoying the terse atmosphere.

Vincent held his chin with his hand in thought. "Hmm, and has the Underworld said anything?"

Undertaker tapped his chin with a nail. "There has been recent sales of arsenic goin' up~ Rumors say a certain noblewoman by the name of one Lady Evans has sent a servant on errand around twice a month to purchase amounts enough to poison an entire neighborhood's worth. Perhaps slipping in gradual amounts per meal so as to escape public notice until the bachelor dies. Especially since the decaying process is significantly delayed, the bodies can pile up until she has nowhere to put them, and so she delivers them inconspicuously to the dump where they were then delivered to me~"

I blinked. "Then that means that this incident could've been occurring for far longer than anyone expects. Especially since the body can take eight to ten weeks to decompose. But the softer parts are converted to a greasy mass, right? And it's only until after ten days that putrefaction appears."

"Ah, seems my assistant has been studying~ But right you are, my dear. Although, I must say that it's quite well enough that they take longer to decay, the garlicky smell from when they do is less than enjoyable~"

I quirked an eyebrow. "You think?"

He smirked, but didn't answer. At this point, he was already used to my cynical responses whenever I got short with him. But really, who could help it if your boss constantly teased you for a reaction?

This time, Vincent piped up. "Then that would require of us an investigation for further detail. We have to know if there is a certain reason for the culprit to act in this manner seeing as there is no relation between victims aside from association and socioeconomic standing."

Diedrich suddenly intervened, "Wait, does this mean we're going now?! We're not even prepared!"

Vincent smiled all too calmly. "Nonsense, I had Tanaka prepare us in advance. As well as for Miss Rachel and the Undertaker here, there are clothes provided for you two. We'll be staying at Lady Evans' residence for the time being until we crack the case."

This time, I sweat dropped. "Um, aren't you at all worried that she'll be poisoning your food?"

Vincent suddenly smirked, and the scene was so reminiscent of the manga that I couldn't help but picture OurCiel, aka "not Ciel", smiling in that same manner in my mind's eye. My face blanked. To think that those two would eventually be torn apart and have a sibling rivalry left a queasy feeling in my stomach.

"Trust me, my Lady. I have everything worked out for this particular purpose." Vincent held my eye, maintaining that confidence before lighting up and smiling. "Now, then, shall we?"

I wanted to feel skeptical, but being the Queen's Watchdog, I would expect that he was aware of the situation, so I let it go.

A hand was at my back, and I turned to see Undertaker grin before leading me out the door. Seeing that there wasn't much of a choice in the matter, I followed compliantly, accepting Tanaka's hand to help me up before scooting to the window so Undertaker sat next to me. Since we were the commoners and Diedrich and Vincent the aristocrats, we were facing the back of the carriage and them the front. Unfortunately, I had motion sickness easily, and facing the back wouldn't help, but we'll see if I could stomach the ride.

…

As fate would have it, I had to switch with Vincent before I ended up puking in the carriage. Fortunately, this was more than halfway into the journey, which took way longer than I expected from the bumps and constant stops. But after reaching the countryside, it was smooth sailing, until my headache decided that I'd suffered more than enough. The Earl was rather gracious to give up his seat, especially since he seemed to be the only person besides me to sit comfortably next to the Undertaker. Besides, the look on Diedrich's face was enough to convince anyone that he would strangle whoever coerced to sit next to the weird mortician.

Anyhow, we were an hour and a half into our journey, an hour left to go until we reached our destination. Throughout the ride, light conversation, gossip, and a few jokes set the mood, but of course, knowing nothing about recent events aside from our current murder mystery, I was the oddball out, so I spent the majority of the ride staring out the window, getting lost in my thoughts until a certain Earl decided to take pity on me.

"So, Miss Rachel-"

"Just Rachel will do, I don't care for stiff upper lips." I could only handle so much of the rules and stiffness of English society before I lost my mind.

Vincent only rose an eyebrow and only receiving a shrug from Undertaker, decided to play along. "Very well, Rachel, if you would, why don't you tell us a bit about where you come from?"

I raised an eyebrow. "I would've thought the news should be sufficient enough for you."

He smiled. "I find that personal experiences are far more entertaining than just listening to objective views of the world."

Ah, well, I'll have to tread carefully here considering there's a difference in the fact that I live in a different time period than just the country. "Hm, well, aside from the fact that I find a democracy far more favorable conditions to live under than just a monarchy, the quality of living is also rather improved. However, there is the major difference in time period as well."

That earned me an arched eyebrow. "Time period, you say? How so?"

I tilted my head. "Hmm, well that depends. Can I trust that whatever I say doesn't leave this carriage? Undertaker already knows, so it's no issue for him. However, as for you two, I don't even know you, but if you're both to trust me, I need to know that I can trust you." I went silent for a while, letting them absorb the information. "Although, it's not like anyone would easily believe you without proof, especially since I'll deny all and any knowledge of where I actually come from to parties uninvolved." I actually felt proud of coming up with that. However, it deflated as soon as Undertaker snickered. Of course, the asshat took any opportunity to ruin my fun.

Vincent's eyebrows rose with intrigue while Diedrich scrutinized me skeptically. "And what does this entail?"

I blinked. "Me coming from the future."

I heard a snort to the side of me and glanced blandly to see Diedrich waving his hand dismissively. "Hogwash."

I rose an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"

He looked at me as if I asked the most stupid question. "Your words may simply be the prattle of a suffragette."

Suffragette? Ah, was this supposed to refer to the feminist movement of the 19th Century?

I smirked, "Although it may seem so, but no, most assuredly, I come from the future, and here's why." I held up the most incriminating piece of evidence known to mankind: my iPhone.

Everyone but Undertaker stared blankly while the exception wore a wide smirk.

Vincent looked absolutely sold over my claim. "And what is that supposed to be?"

"A phone."

"You mean the kind that calls people?" That was Diedrich.

"Yes, you idiot, what else do you think a phone does?" Me, this time.

Snickers erupted while the German sputtered.

"Oi, it was a legitimate question!"

I sighed. "Well, you do have a point since this phone does more than just call people."

The Earl's eyebrows couldn't raise anymore unless it wanted to integrate to his hairline. "Is that so?"

"Mm, it can text or email people, which is like a form of writing letters, but electronically so that they receive it instantly rather than have to wait for days. However, text is for more informal contact while email is far more common in the workplace. Plus, you can also shop, play games, and a plethora of other activities."

"Truly? Will you show us then?"

I got quiet, but the looks of excitement in their faces had me giving in. I shrugged. "Why not?" After all, it's not like they could tell anyone.

I pressed the home button, and the screen flashed on, but since this was the iPhone 5, my thumbprint could unlock it easily.

"Oh, it even tells the time and date?" Vincent was holding his thumb in thought, peering close to the screen.

"Sure, it can do a lot more than just that. I can also play music, look up information online without having to go to the library, read books, anything." My finger hovered over the Safari app but then decided to swipe the screen to the games section. It'd be a lot easier for them to understand than have to explain about the online web.

So, see these little squares? They're what we call apps, and each one differs in function, although some may share the same characteristics."

"How does that work?" Even Diedrich looked interested at how sophisticated my phone worked.

"Well, you can see the labels, right? They should be self-explanatory. Like Calendar, Clock, and Weather, those apps provide me the dates for today or even activities for future reference, the time, and the temperature for today and the upcoming week."

"My, how peculiar~ And how do you come across this information?" Undertaker looked keen on searching through my phone for something it can't do.

"Well, we have people that upload, or share this information, through satellite so that everyone can access info via networks."

Based on the owlish stares, they didn't understand half of what I said. I sighed. I'm sure you could imagine that the rest of the ride pertained to me explaining concepts as "online", the internet, etc until we reached the Evans estate, and by the time we did, everyone was far more invested in my phone than the case itself. However, safe to say, I was exhausted from my mini lectures.

"If possible, can we continue this conversation another time? This is all so very interesting, and I'd like to know more?" Vincent was utilizing his charm, and I had to close my eyes from the brightness of his curiosity.

I groaned, rubbing my temples. "I guess…"

A clap startled me as he grinned. "Splendid, then off we go!"

The door to the carriage was opened by a footman of Lady Evans' and Tanaka was smiling calmly. "My Lords and my Lady, we have arrived to the Evans' Manor. If you will?" He held out a hand towards me.

Ah, proper etiquette once more. Pity that my dress didn't correspond. I accepted it, stepping down from the carriage and taking a look around. The manor was very refined with it's homey dress of light tan bricks and brownish roof, the garden surrounding it highlighted in reds and blues. A refreshing change of scenery, in my opinion. However, as I looked around, I could feel the weight of a heavy stare on my back, and looking towards the entrance, approached a towering figure of a woman, dressed smartly in blue to compliment her fair tone and black hair. Accompanying her was a maid, surprisingly. No butler?

She was eyeing me intensely, paying no mind to the men as she neared before reaching considerable distance to hold a conversation. Our gazes held for a few moments before hers moved to Vincent's with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Lord Phantomhive, I see you've arrived with company no less. Welcome to my estate. I hope the journey hasn't been too stressing?" She held out her hand which Vincent took and kissed.

"Not at all, my Lady. My companions here did well to take our minds off of it, after all." Vincent smiled, ever the perfect example of an English gentleman. "Here with me are Diedrich, the Undertaker, and Miss Rachel Rose."

"I should hope so, my Lord." Her smile strained even more, but she acknowledged the Undertaker and Diedrich with the tip of her head. "My Lords." When her gaze landed on me, again, I felt an odd feeling, and taking a subtle whiff using my powers, I could smell even smell… lust?

Either it was my imagination or not, but she cringed a little when looking back at Vincent before retracting her hand to her side a little to quickly. She covered it up with a hasty, but charming smile and gestured to her manor. "If you would, please, follow me." With one last glance towards me, she looked straight to the manor, never looking back as the maid bowed before following her Mistress.

I don't know how, but during our exchange, it felt as though she looked like she wanted to eat me. I couldn't help a small shiver and glanced back at Undertaker to find him smiling comfortingly at me. He giggled before joining me, nudging me to follow. Uncertainly, I remained by his side. I guess there's more to this manor than just a murder mystery.


	11. Chapter 10

A/N: Well, talk about cutting it close! Sorry for the wait, but another monthly update for you all. Also, a belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Years! Plus, got myself a job, too! Took long enough honestly. Plus, my first semester went incredibly well. I passed with all A's, so, I'm very pleased with the results. That being said, I plan to have another update soon shortly to celebrate. Hopefully my laziness doesn't impede that. As for the holiday omakes, I decided to hold off until the storyline caught up with the months, that way it flows along easier. Anyhow, thanks again for the support, silent or not. Your presence is much appreciated. Onto the reviews!

For our reviewers, much thanks to steph557, 8shadesofmadness, Guest 1, Guest 2, and Guest 3. Silent readers are, as always, appreciated.

steph557: A pleasant surprise, but for your sake and other readers, perhaps I will. Especially considering how "fun-prone" Undertaker, Vincent, and the kids are, they'll especially love the games part of iphones. I'll definitely see to that.

8shadesofmadness: Lmao, I'm glad to see you got your thinking cap going. But remember, Rachel is very immature in terms of emotions. She can identify and recognize (some of) them, but it doesn't mean she'll always act on it. Usually. I guess you'll have to see in the next chapter, tee hee~ But I hope you continue to enjoy the story. But trust me, there's better places than Hell, my friend. Especially in the afterlife, and I'm not talking purgatory, because believe me, no one wants to spend forever waiting. That's just plain boring.

GENERAL AUDIENCE: If at anytime the quality begins to decline, I'd appreciate it if anyone alerted me. I'd hate to be those kinds of authors to let down readers simply because of quality. This goes for anyone who happens to read this.

P.S. I don't know who is who, but I'm going "in order" of reviews meaning bottom-up. Since that's technically chronological order. You'll figure it out.

Guest 1: Yes, I hope so for this chapter and the next one. This one is kinda part one to solving the mystery. The next chapter will wrap it all up. Hopefully.

Guest 2: Good to know you're enjoying the story! Hope you'll continue to stick around. Thanks for dropping by!

Guest 3: I do not know French, but I made do with Google Translate which came out to this (?): "I can't wait to read more." Lol. Anyhow, again, much thanks for dropping by, and hopefully, I can crunch out an update quickly.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroshitsuji nor will I ever. Everything read not included in the manga are my ideas and characters alone unless mentioned otherwise.

Chapter 10  
Rachel's POV (1st)  
There was something incredibly off about this mansion. Moreso than just the blue-clad noblewoman's predatory glances or the absence of males throughout the duration of our stay, with the exception, of course, of my current company. Something lingered here that kept me on edge, and being noticed as much by the Undertaker, informed Vincent which prompted him to gather for an impromptu meeting. Which brings us to the present a couple days later. However, a rundown of what occurred after our arrival would perhaps make the most sense before continuing my cognitive dissonance.

After having been introduced to the intricate labyrinth that was the manor, we were all assigned different rooms. Matters didn't help much that I was designated a different wing from the men, but it could potentially be supporting evidence for why she seemed to have an affinity to the same gender. If the others had noticed it, they didn't say anything between now and then, but considering that we had arrived around lunch time, we were given time to rest and settle. Being separated from my companions probably didn't mean much to anyone. Maybe I was overthinking it.

"Miss, your room will be here. If you are in need of assistance, don't be afraid to ask one of us." The maid interrupted my thoughts, causing me to assess her appearance again.

Demure. Astute. Plain. No grandiose traits that would normally attract a person of such high stature, yet, the majority of these attributes could apply to any of them.

"I will keep that in mind. Thank you." I took my luggage, walking in through the door she opened to the guest bedroom. Nothing to particularly take note of considering my social standing. However, before I could dismiss her, she continued with, "The Madame would also like some time alone with you whenever you deem fit. Simply notify any of us of the time and date, and she'll plan accordingly." Leaving it at that, she bowed her head before closing the door.

Left once more at a baffled state of mind, I considered getting situated to pass the time. Opening the suitcases provided by the Earl, I already dreaded on wearing the frilly stuffy nonsense the stereotypical Victorian women dress in, yet, to my surprise, it seemed that the wear matched my drawings. Even moreso, the style was tailored to my taste while yet subtly blending in to this era.

Huh. Was this planned by Undertaker and Vincent? I scratched my head before shaking it off. It shouldn't be a big deal, I had clothes to wear at least. At least, that's what I thought until I came across the undergarments. No bra, no panties, only a corset, drawers, and whatever else these heaps of clothes were meant for. Dear God.

Busy mentally stressing out over my outfits, I almost missed the creak of the opening door and my head snapped around to see two glowing eyes peering through the crack. On instinct, I yelped, snapping the case shut before flinging a kunai so it landed next to his head.

"Oi! A little privacy, if you wouldn't mind!" I seethed at him, wishing that my aim was a bit off to land /on/ his head rather than next to.

"He he he~" He swung the door open, careless of his transgression as he made himself at home.

In my room.

"I just wanted to check on my dear assistant~ Seems the Madame is quite taken with you, she is," he retorted. His oversized sleeves flapped with the movement as he spread his arms wide to the side as if to challenge me with /what are you going to do about it?/

I narrowed my eyes, quirking my mouth. "So it seems."

His grin widened. "So, what do you think?"

I hummed before shrugging. "Too soon to say, but it's noticeable her affinity to the fairer sex. She doesn't seem to care for men nor their business. By the way, are we under some sort of alias? Does the Earl have some sort of plan concocted? And was this planned by you and the Earl to have it done this early?" I pointed accusingly at the "offending" assortment of clothes enclosed within my suitcase. Not that I wasn't thankful, but if you knew Undertaker, there's always something up with this loon.

His grin took up half his face by the time I finished my interrogation and it took every ounce of self-control to not throw a pillow in his face. Argh, he's so annoying.

"My, my, quite the first time to ever witness a mouthful coming from you~" He giggled, it's high-pitched sound feeding the fuse.

"Your point?" Why? Why did he make it a point to point out every single little thing I did? What was the point? I hated people like that. It's so annoying whenever people need a reason for every little thing I do. I mean, goddamn, just shut up and go with it.

My eyebrow twitched at my internal rant given how he was staring at me amused. I must've been too obvious. Or… I may have just said all that aloud.

I don't care to know.

"Well?"

"Hi hi, settle down, now, love~ The Earl has everything sorted out. More importantly, your role." He joined me, sitting down on the bed and wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

I raised an eyebrow, leaning away for some sense of much-needed-personal-space. "That being?"

"Bait!~" He said that as if it was the greatest honor to be bestowed upon anyone.

"I see… Well, figured as much." I rubbed my chin before turning to him back to him. "So, what is it he needs me to do?"

"Why, whatever gets her to spill her secret~" he smiled as charmingly as he could manage.

"You call that a plan?" Are they for real? They must be joking. They have to be.

"Heh, I'm sure the Earl can trust in your skill to improvise, no?"

I crinkled my nose. "He sure as hell ought to considering I'm the wild card he intends to play."

"Attagirl~"

I glared at him. But before I could say anymore, there was a knock and the door to my room opened, revealing Lady Evans, much to my surprise.

Ironically, the noblewoman seemed to share my feelings, but more concerned for the current nuisance at my side. I must've been so preoccupied to not have noticed her presence. However, that didn't answer what she was doing here and why so soon.

She schooled her face, registering the unwanted presence with a dry look. "I came by to check in on you personally, but it seems as though someone has beat me to it. However, I did want you to know that preparations for a late lunch have been prepared. The Earl was gracious enough to have his staff aid with such, and I sent servants to notify everyone as such, but it seems I shouldn't have had to for /him/. All that aside, you may join us at the dining hall."

"Very well, my Lady. We'll rendezvous then." Despite my suspicions that she was up to something, I decided to play along for now. However, she could've sent a servant to me, as well, for such a mundane action.

She nodded stiffly, curling a lip at Undertaker with narrow eyes. With that, she turned her back, and with the /click/ of the door, she was gone.

I only had to sniff to tell. /Liar/. She wanted to do more than just notify me, but I suppose Undertaker's presence foiled that attempt. A glance to the side confirmed by deductions based on Undertaker's grin. He must've come to the same conclusion I did.

His giggle pierced through my thoughts. "Well, my dear, how 'bout it? Will you aid the Watchdog in this game of chess?"

I snorted. He had to ask? "You bet I will."

…

Dinner was uneventful. But really, when the main topic centered around gossip and recent events of Victorian-aged England, for someone of my case, particularly an anomaly, I suppose that would explain the majority of my boredom. However, particularly of note was the noblewoman's behavior. Especially around me.

Ever since the incident in my room, she'd been avoiding me. No passing glances, no hungry eyes, nothing. Not even special treatment, although I wouldn't know what to expect to begin with. I was treated the same as the other men, but the lingering scent of lust confused me. Perhaps it was just more than me? I've smelt it in rooms I hadn't occupied but also in rooms where the men have dwelt but not I. Which was odd.

Either way, I could safely assume the cold shoulder was due to being caught by the Undertaker. Perhaps she was thinking that she'd be taken off the spotlight by retreating. After all, she must've had something up her sleeve to have come so soon. I didn't know what it was she wanted though. Yes, lust was self-explanatory in itself, but she had plenty of maids to satiate herself. It had to be more than that. It had to somehow involve the death of multiple bachelors.

Was it maybe a sort of comeback? A rebellion against Victorian tradition? Maybe she swings the other way? Well, obviously, yes, but the mass of which the death toll accounted for couldn't have possibly come from her alone. Maybe it has something to do with her maids. Perhaps the maids themselves have more to say than they show.

For sure, there was a missing puzzle piece that Vincent was keeping from me. Maybe this was a test? Or was this on purpose to not distract from the real objective? I'm not sure, but I'll have to question the Earl myself on this matter.

Back to the maids, however… They showed a loyalty to Lady Evans. They were secretive, never spoke ill against her character, nor were they concerned for the mystery shrouding the woman. If anything, contentment radiated from them. Perhaps this was their new way of life? An escape from reality? To be situated so far away from civilization but yet sustain themselves in this bubble of theirs was queer, as Undertaker would put it.

I sighed. Maybe I was just overthinking it. Anyhow, if you were wondering how we were still alive by the third day if Madame Evans is notorious for poisoning her guests, then it's comforting to say that Vincent foresaw this problem with the solution of preparing food beforehand as well as integrating his own staff with hers. Therefore, chances of poisoning were somehow decreased, and me, having heightened senses, can affirm that the food was indeed untampered with. But probably temporarily.

I sat up from the bed on which I was currently contemplating. We were now approaching the third day. I'm sure that Lady Evans must've suspected Watchdog activity based on Vincent's arrival, but I'm not sure it she's put one and one together yet. Our aliases were supplementary to our arrival, but that didn't explain the real reason. Aside from me being bait, the Evil Noblemen had the investigation underway. However, what was Earl Phantomhive doing there? If leaked to "proper" society, it may appear scandalous, but arriving with a company of men would dim that suspicion. Surely he had something up his sleeve. He must have.

I rubbed my face. Worrying incessantly over the Earl's affairs wasn't helping. Maybe I just needed a walk to clear my head. For now, that seemed like a temporary relieve, but the upcoming impromptu meeting ought to have sufficient information for our supposed plan. Perhaps that would settle my nerves.

Oh well, one could only hope.

I got off the bed, clad in now one of the tailored dresses made for me, on behalf of Undertaker's wishes. True, the style came mostly from me, but the design required integration to normal society. It's whatever. Having clothes on my back was more than enough for me anyway. The damn corset always required an extra hand, though, and Undertaker had to be the one to do it since Vincent and Diedrich couldn't do such for obvious reasons, and the women were too weak to do it correctly. However, it was more than enough reminder of what a pain in the ass it could be from all the respiratory corrections I had to incorporate to accommodate the damn nuisance.

Meandering the halls, I went down a long corridor before taking the stairs down to find the garden. It wasn't anything hard if you memorized shit easily, but I was pretty much on my own at this point. For the past two days, I'd accompany the men anytime we interacted with the noblewoman. I'm guessing this was a private event, but considering how alienated from society she was, I don't think anyone cared to give a damn. Well, unless if you fit Vincent in the picture. But alas, nothing.

But now, I was on my own. For whatever reason, Vincent and Diedrich took off leaving Undertaker and I, but with the former nowhere to be found, here was lonely me. Thus began my trek through Lady Evan's gardens, and lo and behold, I found none other than the owner.

She straightened up, a wry smirk on her face. "Well, isn't this a surprise."

There was no doubt in my mind that she planned to take full advantage of this unexpected rendezvous.


	12. Chapter 11

A/N: Right. So, awkward apology here. Very sorry for the much delayed chapter. I had wanted this chapter out before school season, and alas, that ironically didn't work out. I am trying to get into the swing of things, but hopefully, this monthly chapter update will force me to stay on track. The moment I relax, this story is bye-bye which is bad for both you and me. Ha. So, there will be no giving up for me. I plan to make this last as long as I need to for this story to be completely finished. Period. And so, I will now announce my appreciation to my readers for their faithfulness in my updating and for the hearts, bookmarks, and reviews. They're motivation as well as something I look forward to. Silent readers are also acknowledged, don't worry.

For our reviewers, special thanks to 8shadesofmadness, bunnyxstar, and SkittleLuvr.x3. The support keeps me going!

8shadesofmadness: Dude, you have wild imagination. You'd be better off making a better story than I am. Maybe one of these days, I'll use an idea of yours since they're a heck of a lot more interesting than mine. Big oof. But anyhow, your feedback is acknowledged. I don't know how much of a revealer you'll like, but shit has yet to go down. So, keep brainstorming lmao.

bunnyxstar: I'm very glad you think so. Honestly, it was meant for before January, but oh well. Hopefully this chapter also meets your expectations. Enjoy reading!

SkittleLuvr.x3: Hah, that is definitely an idea to think about. I may include it when they have their moment together again. But yes, I'm much dreading the Phantomhive scenario. I'm still thinking of how I'll go about this with my character. It's going to be a while tho. Especially for Sebastian, but he's right after so it won't be as long a wait. Stick around and you'll see, lol!

With that said, enjoy reading!

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroshitsuji nor will I ever. Everything read not included in the manga are my ideas and characters alone unless mentioned otherwise.

Chapter 11  
Rachel's POV (1st)  
"If I'd known you'd be so eager to see me, I would've made myself available sooner."

My eyebrow twitched. /Was that supposed to be a flirt?/ Ironically, one of my greatest weaknesses being that I couldn't tell apart friendly conversation from subtle flirtation, not that this woman and I shared any sort of relationship, especially not after her seemingly cold shoulder for the past few days. Not that it really mattered.

If I was to be bait, then I'll have to assume the part. It's a matter of seeming desperate enough to convince her that I need help. But over what?

"That employer of yours… Undertaker, was it? He seems quite the mental case." Her mouth quirked. Was she looking for agreement?

"If you say so, my Lady. He is a well enough employer, given he provides for my basic needs." Impartiality would have to do for now. I don't what she's looking for.

"Ah. Is it enough for you, however?" She stooped down to inspect a rose bush, brushing the red petals with her hand. Her back was towards me so I couldn't tell her facial expression at all, but given the vantage point, the slight breeze made it easier to smell her scent. Anticipation.

"I could do without the corny jokes." I shrugged. There really wasn't much to complain about. I would hope I'm not that needy of a person.

"I see." Silence reigned for a minute or so, her still inspecting the rose while I warily watched her form until she got up, a rose in hand. She must've plucked it or cut it. "Do you not ever want for more?"

Where was she going with this?

"Whatever could you possibly mean, my Lady?" I tilted my head. Inwardly, I felt we were finally moving along.

"Hmm, well, satisfaction, contentment, a place to call home. Safety. Surely those brutish men you surround yourself with don't treat you the way you deserve to be." She was twirling the rose stem, now, mindful of the thorns. "After all, those poor maids of mine came running from their fiancé, begging for help. They dislike the bars of societal norms. Whisked off like lambs to the slaughter, sold to the highest bidder simply to save reputation. Quite tarnishing, I must say."

"It is unfair, if you ask me." Sure, I did have a problem with that sort of arrangement, how nobles had to survive competition. I'm guessing these are more aimed towards the middle-class given how none of these cases turned a public eye. A shame that class defined your value. I could understand that much.

"Truly, no? I can offer you the same, here." She was approaching me now, rose raised to her nose so she could sample the fragrance. She smiled slyly at me from behind it. "I could take care of those men, just like I did for my poor maids. It's what I did to liberate myself, you know."

Ah, so now she's referencing to the murders.

"These maids of yours, they know what you've done? And they have no issue against it? They're truly happy under your care, being nothing more than a servant?" It did seem like quite a tradeoff, life as a servant to be liberated from a stereotypical Victorian noblewoman's burden.

She shrugged nonchalantly. "It is the price to pay, especially with all the bodies, you know? Quite the nuisance, having them piled up." She began to circle behind me, and I could feel her fingers brushing my hair. "But you, you're quite special." Lust. I could smell waves of it.

I was beginning to feel uncomfortable, both from the scent and her words. But of course, I couldn't show it. That would ruin the game. "How so, my Lady?"

"Hmm, well, to begin with, being apprenticed to an undertaker. Quite the unsavory sort. Only one could wonder what appeal that would have to one such as you, much less anyone else."

Well, she did have a point.

"Unless if there's more…"

All of a sudden, the rose came into my peripheral view, which forced me to look to the opposite side and see that her face was quite close to mine, close enough that I could see her dark blue eyes framed by raven hair. Quite an odd color.

"You'd do so much better under my care." A finger brushed under my chin, and then was gone. She already began walking off. "Think on it, why don't you?" Her figure was disappearing deeper into the garden, leaving me behind.

Well, if this was what Vincent was looking for, then he better have come up with a plan, and soon.

I looked down at my feet to see the rose she had been carrying. She must've dropped it before leaving to make some point.

And all the thorns were stripped.

…

All the men and I were gathered in a room. What kind of room, I was too preoccupied to care. I was sketching into a notebook, trying to sort my thoughts as I began with a rose before intertwining it with a skull. The men were still getting settled, pleasantries and all. The impromptu meeting was today, and I'm sure they were all looking forward to the results. It only seemed that digging deeper into her history only brought up more questions.

Of course, obviously, she was tempting me, and rather unsuccessfully given my loyalties to the contract between Undertaker and I. But the suspicion she had between us… Was there more to her than we originally thought? No way.

At least, that's what I wanted to believe.

Looking down at the sketch, I was surprised to find that I'd already drawn a rough outline of a face. Christ, that habit of mine to draw out my thoughts won't do well for me in the future. Nevertheless, I continued.

That thought aside, she'd obviously confided her secret to me, of course. Rather she trusted me or wanted to test me to rat her out wasn't my concern. We were here to solve a case, after all. Maybe she didn't care? Perhaps it was an appeal to feministic principles, the idea of freedom, equality of rights. I couldn't blame her nor her servants for desiring such, but the way they achieved it, of course, is a different matter altogether.

What did she hope to gain with her massive following? A rebellion? A "told you so" come-back at the patriarchal Victorian society? She didn't seem to care for those, only her desire. Desire of what, though? Just women?

I smirked. /How shallow./ But of course, that's irrelevant to the case. We were here to investigate the deaths of several bachelorettes, presumably, the men all these women - maids, if you will - were supposed to marry. These harem of women didn't seem bothered by her activities from what I could see. She even had servants willing enough to provide her the arsenic she needed.

So then what-

"Rachel!"

I startled, looking up and around in confusion at the men's faces. I blinked. "Yes? Did I miss something?"

Vincent blinked, glanced at Diedrich then Undertaker before looking back at me. "We've been inquiring about your visit with Lady Evans, but it seems you were rather… preoccupied." His gaze shifted to the notebook on my lap, prompting me to look down at the finalized sketch of Lady Evans' face staring up at me from the page. All details finely noted, from the shade of her pupil down to the hairs on her head. A perfect imitation of the enigma that's been evading us the past three days.

"Ah, my apologies. I just didn't have enough time to examine the information as I would've liked." I closed the notebook, keeping the cover secure with my hands. /Whoo, that was a close one./

Vincent blinked before responding. "I see. Well, we can postpone this meeting-"

"No."

He looked at me, mouth slightly agape in shock.

"We don't have the time to dilly-dally. We need to wrap this up as soon as possible because every second wasted is a second closer to someone else's imminent death."

Everyone was quiet, absorbing the urgency in my tone. Then, Undertaker piped up.

"Well, then, m'dear~ Tell us what you know."

I nodded. "Well, first of all, she did inquire about the nature between me and Undertaker's business contract, which lead to her proposal about me staying here. She admitted to the murders way too easily, perhaps in the likelihood that finding the remains of the deceased is rather low and therefore with little evidence to incriminate her with. But otherwise, the maids themselves don't seem at all concerned with her activities."

A few eyebrows raised.

"In fact, they seem in favor of it."

"Ah, now, here's where it gets interesting~ hihihi!" Undertaker lifted a sleeved hand to cover his laugh, appearing bashful.

"So, what you are telling me is that these women are willing to sacrifice their freedom to be free of societal restraints?" Diedrich scoffed, repulsed at the idea.

Well, not that I expected any better, coming from him.

"Of course, /you/ would be the least likely to understand coming from a bred patriarchal society. Women have little to no advantage, compared to you. Everything they hope for in a life requires a man; marriage, name, a reputation, a place to live. They're otherwise as good as dead without it." Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Diedrich's eyebrow tick in annoyance at the none-too-subtle insult. "Of course, there are loopholes to this issue such as widowers who inherit everything, given they last longer than their husband, but they'd have to have exceedingly strong will for such. Perhaps the main reason for why these women turned to Lady Evans. They didn't want to risk the wait."

Silence permeated the room as the revelation sank in. Eventually, Vincent made a soft inquirement.

"What of the bachelors? Do you know where they are or at least what happened to them?"

I narrowed my eyes, shaking my head. "Unfortunately, I was unable to pry that information from her. However, we can search the manor, more probably the wine cellar and other underground rooms. The bodies may have to collect before she deposits them. I'm not sure." I felt a bit disappointed at that, but I didn't want to give ourselves away. But I'm sure that didn't matter at this point.

"Not to worry. I plan to wrap this up by the end of this week." Hearing a confident note in the Earl's voice, I looked up skeptically to find him smiling - at me, of all people - reassuringly. I lifted an eyebrow in question.

Even Diedrich groused a bit, still stumped. "Oh yeah? And what's that?"

A smirk. "All those walks weren't for nothing, at least where I am concerned. As for you… well, time will tell."

I snorted as the offended cried out indignantly. "Oi! I did my part, too, y'know! There wasn't anything else worth of interest here, anyway." He was grumbling to himself now. I found myself pitying him… a bit.

"Hi hi~ Well then, I suppose this concludes the meeting~" Undertaker stood up, gliding to my side where I remained seated at my chair. I didn't get up yet. But Undertaker didn't seem to want to leave either while the other two noblemen were already leaving for the door.

Diedrich looked over his shoulder, puzzled at our stationary positions. "Uh, aren't you coming?"

Undertaker giggled before making a shooing motion with this sleeve. "We'll be just a minute~ Run along now!"

Diedrich only gave us a strange look before shrugging and tagging behind Vincent.

Once their footsteps faded away, I felt a presence join my side. "My dear?~"

I looked up at him, a little conflicted. It took me a second to focus, which of course didn't go unnoticed. "Sorry, what was it you needed?"

He tilted his head. "Are you alright?"

What a great question to start with. Hm, let's see, am I?

My face blanked at him before blandly replying, "Yes." I looked away again, frustrated. Something was gnawing at my gut, some worry that I was unfamiliar with.

He smirked before lifting my chin with the crook of his clawed finger. "Surely not if my assistant is gloomier than usual~ What seems to be the matter?"

I looked at him, eyebrows furrowed. I was silent, trying to gather my thoughts, and he patiently waited with an excellent poker face before I sighed. /Great prelude to a serious conversation, Rachel. Great job, you idiot./

"There's something worrying me after my meeting with the noblewoman. She seems to suspect something more in our business contract, at least abnormal than what I'd have suspected." Undertaker's face remained nonplussed. Did he not care?

"Well, m'dear, she simply could be trying to catch you off-guard. Think nothing of it, love~ Soon, this will all be but a blur of the memory~" He smiled at me.

I still wasn't unconvinced but I let it go. "If you say so."

"By the way~"

I looked up curiously. "Hm?"

"I've been meaning to ask this, but I suppose now's a time better than never~ Why were you so willing to divulge your nature to me? Usually, most people of sound mind would be quite reluctant to. Mind soothing this poor old man's troubles, hihi~"

I deadpanned. /There he goes again with that old man talk./ "Hmph, quit trying to act old. You're not convincing."

He barked out a laugh. "Is that so?~"

"Sure. Second, well, I found that it was only fair given how much I know about you. Or rather, little since not much is divulged about you other than some vague facts from the author and theories that her fans come up with."  
I shrugged, trying to play off my discomfort. "Therefore, I tried making it even. There's a lot about myself I don't know about, as well. For example, my true origins, my parents - though I don't care to meet them. Stuff like why I was born if the people who had me didn't care to keep me around, why I am the way that I am. Being a half-demon, I can see people's weaknesses or rather their flaws, the sins they're drawn to. It makes it hard to really ever trust in someone."

Undertaker laid a hand, suddenly, on top of mine, prompting me to stop and look over at him. He was giving me a smile, but more different than the ones I'm used to. Less crazed and giggly and more of… concerned? "In time, my dear. In time~"

I paused, a plethora of questions at the tip of my tongue, but at his smile, I stilled. I nodded then and his usual grin slid into place.

"Right then~ It's about time we head to bed. What say you, my dear?~" He was already traipsing off to the door before looking over at me, one lime-green double-irised eye in view as he waved goodbye before leaving.

I paused. /What was/ that /all about?/

01/31/19


	13. Chapter 12

AN: So, I'm back, and celebrating a 1 year anniversary since I posted this fic. 13 chapters ain't much, but it's a start. Anyhow, I'm happy to see that there are readers who enjoy the story and that's what matters most. Anyway, I'm updating rather late so it might end up being March 1 when you see this update. Sorry about that. Other than that, I've concluded the mystery (despite how crappy it is), and I hope I've made a good enough conclusion. And towards the end, kinda added a filler to transition to the next part of the story. I was kinda getting impatient, but hopefully when I get around to editing it, I'll think of something better.

Anyhow, on to the reviews!

8shadesofmadness: Roflmao, thanks again for the ideas and the PMs. They helped a lot, and I'll be sure to ask if I need an idea generator. Enjoy reading!

bunnyxstar: Thanks, and I hope to keep up the quality. Hope this chapter does the same as well!

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroshitsuji nor will I ever. Everything read not included in the manga are my ideas and characters alone unless mentioned otherwise.

Chapter 12  
Rachel's POV (1st)  
"Rachel?" The hooded figure before me inquired, lowering their weapons. He raised himself slowly from his battle stance.

I stared in shock. I hadn't expected my adversary to be someone I'd known from my time… much less be at this very same place.

It couldn't be…

…

Today was the day. I was sat on the bed, tense. I glanced at the clock. Five o'clock p.m. Another round of niceties exchanged, facades maintained, but now…

Now, everything would be revealed tonight.

The door creaked open and I looked up to see Undertaker's head poke in with a grin. "Excited?~"

I blanked. He certainly has a way with words. I looked back down at my hands, deciding not to answer.

He snickered at my lack of response. "Now now, whatever could it be, deary? Could it be our infamous assassin isn't as tough as she looks~ Hi hi hi!"

My head snapped up with a glare, nostrils flaring. Just one moment of peace. Is that so much to ask for? I decided to give him the cold shoulder, sullenly turning my back on him to think some more. Even moreso, ignoring the way the bed sunk under his weight as he sat somewhat close to me. My eyebrow ticked. Of all the places to be, couldn't he have just bothered Vincent some more? Or even Diedrich? That stick in the mud is more fun than I'll ever amount to in my whole life.

I shook my head. I was getting sidetracked.

I was still muddled over our situation altogether, and add to that, the current headache by yours truly - that being Undertaker - made itself known once again. Except, he was only part of it. And whatever stunt he pulled those few days ago after that impromptu meeting didn't help any. Any time I thought about it, that one damned green eye would flash in my head, and I'd feel a phantom of his hand on top of mine. Whatever the hell it was supposed to mean, I don't know, nor do I have the time to care to.

There was so many loopholes in the investigation itself. Each route ended with two more routes, more questions lead to more questions. Yet, Vincent was so totally set on wrapping up everything tonight. He'd had routine walks with Lady Evans during the day with Diedrich accompanying him, deceitfully noting for potential places to hold the missing bachelors, yet, of all the places in the house, only the areas where servants were allowed remained unknown to him. Therefore, I'd picked up the slack and investigated during the night. I did, at one point, sense an unknown presence before it hid itself again. Perhaps another victim killed? I could only sense the bloodlust though, but when I investigated, no blood, no remains, and no corpse. Nor could I find where they were hidden.

/Curiouser and curiouser, isn't it?/ I was not happy with this turn of events. Perhaps there was a missing person. Cases tend to resolve like that if there are so many pieces that can be strung to one cause. That had to be it. A co-mastermind perhaps? Maybe even a powerful one.

I turned to Undertaker, slight annoyance already forgotten with my revelation at hand. "So, I've been thinking for a while now…"

He was already focused solely on me, trademark grin in place and nerves alight that I was now giving him my full attention. Much like a child, and I could tell because the bed was jiggling a bit with his excitement. "Yesss~?"

I sighed internally but continued. "This case may involve a co-mastermind, or at least someone behind the scenes."

He nodded eagerly. "Go onnn~"

Ok, this was starting to get annoying. He already knew didn't he? Based off his snickering at my reaction, I already had my answer. But that was besides the point.

"Anyways, I find it suspicious that she's been able to get away with the murders of the bachelors, receive a steady supply of arsenic, and yet not have any kind of slip-ups until recently. Unless…" Unless if it was intentional! "Bait! The corpses showed up recently for attention. Someone's attention! Almost like it was aimed for someone… But…"

Undertaker's grin got impossibly wider. "You're getting there, m'dear~"

Whatever he said completely escaped my notice since I was too busy marveling at my realization. Then the conclusion arrived. I blinked. Tilted my head. "Bait for whom?"

His grin became vague. "That, we'll have to find out tonight, m'dear."

I pursed my lips. That really wasn't the answer I wanted, but he was right. It would have to wait until tonight. I looked back at him. /How had he managed to piece it all together so soon? I mean, I understand he would eventually become the mastermind and creator behind the Bizarre Dolls fiasco, but… How?/

At my inquisitive stare, Undertaker only offered that same vague smile, like he knew something I didn't before getting off the bed.

/I guess that's what makes the brand of a genius./

"Well, m'dear, I best get going~ Can't keep the Earl waiting too long."

"I'm sure."

He gave me an amused smile. "Try not to get too caught up with your thoughts tonight. Can't lose my assistant too soon, after all~ Who knows what could happen to an old man like me!"

I raised an eyebrow. "Who would care to? I'd think half of London wouldn't care to know who you were in the first place."

He pouted at me, before shortly grinning, unfazed. He giggled on his way out, waving. "If that's all, I'll be taking my leave then, dear~"

/It's not like he knows everything./ I frowned. /But then again, neither could I./

…

Nighttime had already fallen. Vincent had relayed the message earlier to meet them at the wine cellar. They most probably had Undertaker guide them there. I only needed to use my nose, and if not, then just sense where they were.

I turned the corridor, heading down the dark hallways. It wasn't too far off, and by the time I opened the door to the wine cellar, I could see the three of them huddled at the center of the room, Diedrich holding a lit candelabra.

"Ah, you made it." Vincent looked pleased for whatever reason.

"Right, so what's the game plan?" I received odd looks at my lingo but I just raised an eyebrow.

"Well, for one, try to recover the bodies. We will require evidence in order to incriminate her as well as rescue the women." Vincent turned to grab another candelabra, lighting it using Diedrich's before handing it to Undertaker. "We will separate into pairs: Diedrich and I will look in here while you and Undertaker look into the second room. If there's any more underground rooms, then we'll regroup here."

Sure. Good luck with that. I nodded anyway just so we could get moving. Feeling Undertaker's dark presence near, I looked up to see the candle casting shadows on his face. Half his face was dark, the other half light, mostly because of his hair; his robes didn't help either.

I blankly stared at him before remarking rather loudly, "You look like a ghost."

He burst into mirthful snickers. "Why, thank you kindly, dear~"

I shook my head before following him into the second room. So far, the room was stale, smelled stale, and looked stale. Rows of corked bottled lined the walls, and within the rows would've been ideal hiding spaces for corpses, but alas, nothing. I furrowed my brow. There was nothing down here. Maybe she already cleaned up?

I still had an itch that there was a 13th person case going on here. This was so very clearly bait yet here were just like sitting ducks. I didn't like it. Not one bit.

All of a sudden, another presence made itself known, and my eyes widened before drawing my sword and pushing Undertaker behind me to block the incoming attack.

/Clang!/ A hooded figure had drawn his own short sword, and we pushed each other way. Both of us assumed an offensive stance, crouching low, muscles tensed before lunging at each other. We exchanged and parried blows, neither of us getting a hit in until the figure managed to get a good look at me by coincidence of the flame lighting up my face, and in his shock, I took advantage of the opening and kicked him a good few feet away. Readying for the final blow, I raised my sword until the figure suddenly straightened.

"Rachel?"

I stared in shock. I hadn't expected my adversary to be someone I'd known from my time… much less be at this very same place.

It couldn't be…

"Zero?!"

…

Undertaker's POV (3rd)  
His assistant never failed to intrigue to him. From her appearance all to the way to her personality, even her interactions with people. Even now was no exception, not ever since the surprising reveal of what appeared to be her former comrade.

He raised a sleeved hand, feeling a grin form on his face. Ohh, this was definitely about to get good.

HIs assistant remained frozen, sword ready to deliver the final blow before slowly lowering it. Perhaps she'd been too focused on trying to kill the enemy that she needed time to register the surprise. Then to his amusement, he saw her blurry form walk to her former assailant slowly and stand before him for a moment before smacking his head with an audible thump from her fist.

He couldn't help it. He burst out laughing. "Bwahahahaha~"

Although he couldn't see much - damn his reaper sight - he could guess from his complaints and her berating that they were most probably friends or even comrades.

"Zero?! What the hell are you doing here?"

"Well, I was stuck and I needed help so I ended up here!"

"And what made you think killing bachelors would help anyone?!"

"Well, I- Can you just let me finish for a second? Just calm down…"

"Calm down? You want me to calm down?!"

Another thump and a yelp confirmed his guess. He snickered.

"Alright, fine! She promised to help me as long as I helped her."

"So, what, you were the one to kill bachelors, clean up the corpses, /and/ supply her with arsenic? I thought it was the maids doing that!"

"Well, no, they're pretty useless when it comes to the art of killing, but that was my only opportunity to crossdress~"

"/Zero/…" He could hear Rachel's warning tone.

"And well, I thought if it became a huge deal, you'd come and investigate…" Her comrade's tone had dwindled rather pathetically at this point.

"Oh, so becoming the enemy of the Queen was a great idea?"

"I mean, it got you to come here and find me!"

Another smack.

"/Owww/, my head is throbbing!"

"Yeah, probably because I got your brain to work again!" She sighed.

He approached with candelabra in hand, a sleeved hand to his mouth as he got closer to them. He could somewhat see her pinching the bridge of her nose in exasperation. In his opinion, he was highly amused at the man's macabre planning, albeit foolish. "Well well~ what to do now with him and the noblewoman, hihihi"

"Ugh, you work for him?"

"Zero! Show some respect!"

"Ow! That's my ear!" She must've pinched it.

"He's my boss, you idiot!"

"Well, how was I supposed to know?!"

"Even if you didn't, you still show some respect!"

"Alright, alright, fine, just let go, now!"

He snickered again and sensed two more presences approaching. The Earl and Diedrich. "Hihi, milords, seems the case has been resolved~"

The Earl and his German dog came in, looking a bit alarmed, but seeing as Rachel and her comrade were arguing, the Earl seemed to be politely amused but more confused. Diedrich was just bewildered at the rough display. "That's the assailant?"

"Hihi, right you are, milord~"

Diedrich scoffed. "Tch, what a waste of time."

"Then, it's just the noblewoman who needs taking care of."

"Oh, her? Why, she's right here." Surprisingly, he heard Rachel speak up and walk over to the rows of wine, and within, she pulled out a disgruntled Lady Evans.

Then, he heard the sound of her sword being unsheathed, and before he could speak up, another voice screamed out. "Wait!"

Silence reigned for a second, so deafening that a pin dropping would've been audible. Since he didn't sense a weakening of a presence, he guessed that the sword was stopped inches away from the noblewoman. An impressive amount of self-control and experience for wielding a sword.

"Please, don't." Although everyone's heads were craned to the direction the voice spoke out, he could easily surmise it as one of the maids employed in the manor. "You can't kill her."

"And why not?" came Rachel's steady reply. She had adopted the role of assassin again; Ruth, wasn't it?

"You wouldn't understand." Her grim reply made a smirk come to his mouth.

"You're right," said Ruth, after a moment passed. "I don't, nor do I care to. It's not my business how you live your life, but once it began to interfere with others, then it did."

He could hear a shocked gasp, most probably from the maid, at how swiftly Ruth had used her own words against her. How intriguing that his assistant could become so confident before her foe. He could imagine her, cold and unyielding, firm in her opinion. Ruthless.

She continued. "It is a shame that women are subject to a society where they hold no advantage against men, they're subject like farm animals to be sold away for marriage only for profit, milked like cows for sons and then throw away. It's a shame, but I don't have the experience to sympathize nor do I care to. All I am concerned about is the crimes this woman has committed."

"But, it's our way of life! She saved us!"

"True. But those bachelors you killed had their own lives too. I don't care for what you do so long as your rights don't infringe others. Rather, do it the right way. Otherwise, the fate of Lady Evans rests in Earl Phantomive's hands." With that being said, she sheathed her sword and walked closer to Undertaker.

He giggled. What proud yet stubborn girl. He was going to have fun with this one. He aimed a cryptic grin and she only responded with a raised eyebrow before looking away. He wanted to know what she was thinking, what she must've been pondering as she talked to that maid. He wanted to find out.

"Well, with that out of the way, I can assure you that Lady Evans would most definitely be spending time in jail." Ah, the Earl it is. Yet, his tone of voice seemed to suggest something.

"You seem to be quite disappointed, though, milord~ Why would that be, hm~ hihihi!"

Diedrich, as always, that dry German dog, was impatient as always. "Well, what are we standing around for? Cuff her and get on with it!"

Undertaker smiled. Oh no, the Earl definitely had something in mind.

"Why, Diedrich, that isn't how you treat a woman!" Vincent lightly scolded. "No, this seems a more delicate case. In consideration for your maids, I will discuss this with the Queen and see if a more fair punishment will be dealt. However, in terms of your accomplice…" The Earl seemed to suspect Rachel's comrade, but given the familiarity between them, was also just as curious about what was between them.

He heard a sigh next to him. "If you would be so kind, my lord, to push this matter to tomorrow on the way back. Tonight has been quite exhausting."

"Ah, yes, my apologies."

Undertaker snickered. She did, after all, just have a slight skirmish with him and probably would be having a few more words with him afterwards, no doubt. Poor thing must be embarrassed. "Now now, dear, I'm sure it'll be just fine~"

He could feel her heated glare on him. "Shut it," she seethed quietly.

He giggled. Out of patience, wasn't she? He draped himself over her with a dramatic pout. "Is that any way to treat your employer?"

"Oi! Get off me! Zero!"

"Hmph! He's your boss, your problem." He could see the blurry form of her comrade turn his back with his arms crossed.

"What!"

"Zero." The noblewoman spoke up this time after having been silent for so long. Everyone quieted, curious to see what she had to say after his betrayal. "What happened to removing the pests?"

Her white haired comrade twitched before looking back at Lady Evans. "Pest?" Then a wide grin replaced his frown. "Why, my Rachel isn't a pest. She is my mistress! After all, I am but simply her subordinate. I would never dare go against her. Ever." He bowed mockingly. "Hence the swift betrayal."

The noblewoman's eyes narrowed before looking down, accepting her loss.

Undertaker grinned. This was just getting too interesting. He looked down at the assistant he was draped over, brooding. Too interesting, indeed.

…

Rachel's POV (1st)  
I sighed, aggravated. "I swear, Zero."

He whined behind me. "How many times do I have to say sorry?!"

I whirled around to look at him. "'Sorry' isn't gonna fix anything! How am I supposed to explain your arrival?"

He tilted his head. "Hold on, so you're working for the Queen's Watchdog, too?"

I blinked. "Not directly. But how do you know about that?"

"Pfft, anyone in the Underworld knows that. But since my connection to Lady Evans, she knew it would draw the Earl, just not you at the same time."

Ah. That made sense. "And hence why she lost so easily, huh?"

He nodded with a bright smile.

I sighed again before shaking my head and heading up to my room. I give up. Back when I first recognized Zero, I had never felt more relieved and annoyed in my entire life. I massaged my temple, feeling an impending headache arrive.

"Oh, uh, Rachel?"

"…What?"

"Can I stay with you? The amount of women in this mansion is freaking me out."

What the hell? "Uh, Zero, in case you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly a man, either."

"Of course not, you're just not as girly as them." He jerked over his shoulder with his thumb like he didn't even like the prospect of looking back and seeing one accidentally.

I snorted. "Fine, whatever. But you make your own bed."

"Oh sure, no problem!"

His happy-go-lucky attitude would be the end of him.

I opened the door to my bedroom, more than ready for sleep to come. An hour later and I was already in bed. And Zero was sleeping next to me. There wasn't anywhere manageable for him to make a bed

"Hey, Rachel?"

"Huh? Why aren't you asleep?"

"… Thanks."

"You're welcome?" What was he thanking me for?

"If this goes to hell, then I'll just have to find somewhere else to go."

I snorted. "What are you, an idiot? Don't worry, I'll work something out. Also, just out of curiosity, what happened to all the bodies?"

"Oh, those? Eh, I buried them. It was a pain in the ass having to drag them all the way from the manor to the woods, but it kept me in shape."

I snorted. "Fair enough. Now shut up and sleep."

…

"So."

I looked at Vincent.

"Care to explain?" He gestured at Zero with a smile.

We were already in the carriage heading back to the Phantomhive manor. Lady Evans was under house arrest until the Queen came to a decision, and Zero and I were, well… I don't know.

I shrugged. "He's my subordinate from my time. I think he was in a close enough radius to have been affected like me."

Undertaker suddenly perked. "Ah, you mean the pocket watch~"

I nodded. "Sure. But I'm not sure if that will applies to everyone else on there with us." I glanced at Zero and he nodded. We both thought that maybe our enemies are here, too, but no evidence so far.

Vincent looked at us oddly. "Pocketwatch?"

I deadpanned. /Oh, right, I only told Undertaker./

"Well, basically…." And from there, proceeded to tell everyone basically what I told Undertaker.

Vincent held his chin. "So you can't go home? What about if you repaired it?"

I shrugged again. "It's worth a shot. But I'll have to find someone for that." And it might be complicated considering the nature of it to control time. But we had time.

"Uh, shouldn't you be more eager to get home?" Diedrich looked at us as though we ought to be.

We glanced at each other nonchalantly and then both shrugged. "We figured we could take a break."

Zero relaxed against the side of the carriage. "Yeah, what she said."

Undertaker snickered. "Well, both of you look rather relaxed~"

I shrugged again. "Yeah, I guess. I'm just pretty tired. Don't wake me up unless if it's a life-threatening emergency." With that, I shoved my earbuds in, turned up the volume, and passed out against Zero. I hated traveling, not the new places, mind you, but motion sickness was a pain in the ass. I'm sure Zero shared my thoughts, too.

The next time I came to, I was already at Undertaker's place, in my bedroom, tucked under the blankets. I sat up before seeing Zero in the seat Undertaker initially occupied.

"Oh hey, you're up." He was shuffling cards in his hands. He was still in the same attire since the last time I saw him. Well, it's not like Lady Evans had any men's clothing unless if it came from the bachelors. Maybe that's why he cross-dressed.

I blinked. "Yeah, but where's Undertaker?"

"Downstairs. He'll let me stay for a bit, but after a while I'm gonna find somewhere else to work."

My eyes widened. "Wait, he's not letting you stay?"

Zero shrugged. "Eh, it's not that. More like, I'd rather not be the free loader. Plus, he seems pretty content just having you around. I'll still visit, but I'll probably go to a bar. Maybe they'll have open spots."

I stared at him blankly. "You're gay."

He pouted. "What does that have to do with anything?!"

I sighed. "Just be careful. Drunk men aren't usually the kind of people you look for in a husband."

He crossed his arms defensively. "Yeah, yeah, I know."

At that particular moment, my stomach gave a grumble. Zero snickered. "Go eat. Everyone knows how ravenous you get after a mission."

I glared. "Shut the fuck up."

01/28/19


	14. Chapter 13

A/N: Hey everyone! I'm back! I made an effort to reach 5k words and I did it. I'm quite proud of myself. From now on, I'll be making it a point to make each chapter 5k+ words. After all, this is monthly updates, so 2k won't be much of anything to anyone.

Despite not receiving any reviews, I still appreciate the readers who take the time to read my story. Please, when you get the chance, explain what I could've done better with my "mystery" arc so that if I ever get around to editing, I can improve the arc just a bit. Otherwise, enjoy some surprise appearances and have fun reading!

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroshitsuji nor will I ever. Everything read not included in the manga are my ideas and characters alone unless mentioned otherwise.

Chapter 13  
Rachel's POV (1st)  
I hadn't ever considered it at first, but I didn't think I would've accustomed so easily to Victorian life. Ever since donning the tailor-made outfits Bridget so nicely crafted for me, the odd stares and glances from Undertaker's customers decreased. Well, not that I had them that long.

People still marveled at the fact Undertaker even had an assistant, but at least my outfits wasn't cause for attention anymore. However, I did find that the dresses were comfortable, weren't very long either since they ended just below the knees, and the boots were just heavenly. They weren't like anything I ever had, and despite being stylishly made, the heels weren't so overbearing that I'd have to take them off. It was quite nice being able to dress nice without actually dressing too nice. In my opinion, at least.

My stomach grumbled again. _Ah, right. Food, was it?_ I had already made it to the foyer of the shop out of habit. And, to my surprise, Vincent was sitting on a coffin chatting with Undertaker until I arrived. Now, a permeable silence coated the room as I stared in a haze of confusion and lethargy. I blinked.

"Diedrich's absent?'

Vincent smiled calmly. "Ah, yes, he will not be accompanying us today. Rather, he had urgent business to take care of."

I nodded, not really interested. "I see. And the time?"

"Why, it's twelve in the afternoon~" Undertaker piped up, grinning in amusement at how lost I looked.

I froze. Twelve p.m.? Already? That was approximately twelve hours since I was last awake considering it was already lunch time. Was I really that stressed?

"Ok. So, why's the Earl here, then?"

Undertaker giggled behind a sleeved hand. He was sitting behind his desk as usual, which was set up at the center of the shop facing the entrance. My "desk" was just a coffin, but rather towards the left of the entrance in the perspective of a guest entering the morgue. However, the desk faced towards the side of the shop so that Undertaker was in view and whatever antics he was up to.

"Well now, it seems that the case is yet to be fully resolved considering we have half a culprit residing in my shop~" Undertaker suddenly looked behind me where I noticed Zero now was.

Zero, of course, grinned sheepishly and gave a half-hearted wave. "Heh heh, right, well, about that… How about some lunch before we begin? I'm afraid Rachel won't be able to fully function until she's got some food to quiet the monster in her belly."

At that opportune moment, my stomach chose to growl ravenously, and Undertaker smirked before gesturing at the sandwiches placed on a platter on top of his desk. "Well then, help yourself~"

Vincent chuckled. "Of course, you won't mind if we interrogate you during, no?"

Zero shook his head. "Nah, besides, she can vouch for me." He gestured to me with a bright smile before joining them.

I only retorted silently with a raised eyebrow before focusing on the food. Considering there was only salted pork with cheese or ham and cheese, I didn't feel the need to be picky. Zero already had chosen two, and before my hunger could overwhelm me, I gestured towards the two men. "Anyone still want any because within five minutes, the whole plate will be cleared."

Vincent and Undertaker shared an amused quirk of the eyebrow before offering the entire platter with a hand. "Please, help yourself. I've already partaken."

I shrugged. "If you say so." And true to my word, the platter was cleared.

Taking the last bite of my morsel, I looked up to see Vincent with wide eyes staring at me before looking at Zero with amused defeat. "I see you weren't lying at all about her appetite."

Zero smirked. "What can I say? Of course, she only gets this ravenous after missions considering she consumes large amounts of energy. Otherwise, she snacks for the most part."

Undertaker giggled. "My, who knew I had such a hungry wolf at my side~"

I glared at him, narrowing my only visible eye at him. "Tch, keep it up, and you'll be wondering where the rest of your food's gone to."

Undertaker pouted. His appetite was, of course, much bigger than mine considering _he was a guy_ , and if anyone needed to know anything about him, if you were planning to eat anywhere with him, you might as well bring two extra servings just to make sure you had enough for yourself. Undertake could easily consume a meal for two people alone.

Vincent simply smirked. "Well, all pleasantries aside, to properly conclude the case of Lady Evans, we must know where the bodies have been buried. For now, the Yard has possession of her manor as well as being placed in charge of her house arrest. However, it would ease them to know where the bodies are considering they're still searching as we speak. If Mr. Zero would be so kind as to let us know?"

Zero sighed melodramatically. "Why not? After all that back-breaking work she made me do, it's the least I could do. Like I told Rachel, just follow the trail to the woods. All of them should be buried there." His nose twitched at the thought before shuddering. "Ugh, the smell's enough to put me off for a week."

I huffed. "Well, you could've just killed them than use arsenic. Much more clean, considering." I received a bunch of raised eyebrows at my blunt remark, but no one could deny the truth behind that.

Zero only frowned thoughtfully. "Well, it was Lady Evans' idea. I was simply the henchman insofar as the fate of the bachelor's."

"But still, quite the unconventional mastermind for baiting my assistant to discover you~" Undertaker smiled in amusement, apparently delighted at such foolish and reckless planning.

Zero only grinned playfully. "Well, sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures~ I simply worked with what I had and all that matters is that it worked out." He grinned, satisfied with himself.

My eyebrow ticked. "Right, you dingus, and that's why you've made yourself an enemy of the Crown, better yet, embarrassed me by association, and now you're probably looking at jail time as the least of your worries."

Zero deflated considerably with a pout but offered no rebuttal.

I sighed. "So then, Earl, what does fate have in store for my underling."

Vincent held his chin in thought. "Hm, well, although he didn't directly kill the bachelors, he did supply the arsenic, hid the bodies, and worked alongside the perpetrator as co-mastermind. This might take some time to resolve. Of course, this isn't including what the Queen may have in store for him."

I frowned. This was bad. If I can't convince them of what use Zero has for them, then he's most probably going to end up permanently in jail or worse. Then I had a brilliant idea.

"What about having him work for you as parole?"

Vincent blinked. "Come again?"

I gestured to my associate. "Have him work for you and let those hours be considered as parole towards good behavior. Of course, he'll be under your supervision, but I'll have to accompany you considering he usually only follows my orders. Well, at least the important ones."

Vincent hummed thoughtfully. "Well, that's a start." After a minute of pondering, he nodded. "Alright, well, the Queen will have to settle the duration of his parole, but it shall be agreed. Of course, you can't aid him in his punishment, however."

"Obviously."

The Earl beamed. "Wonderful! It's decided, then." He clasped his hands together. "Now, on that note, piano lessons. I do believe the twins are scheduled for today if I'm not mistaken."

I blinked again. I've been doing that a lot lately, haven't I? I took out my phone to a check the date only to realize the pointlessness of doing so. "If you say so. I suppose this is also the reason for why you came?"

Vincent chuckled. "Well, that and I wanted to know what kind of materials they would require. Of course, I had already gone ahead and bought easy to play pieces, but I'd want your recommendation on types of composers to specifically keep an eye for."

"Oh, that. Well, besides music, just a notepad so we can keep track. As for music theory, well, I'll worry about that. I think it's good you prepared ahead of time, but I'll suggest that within a year or two, as soon as they start to develop skill, buy them pieces from J. S. Bach. Despite its difficulty, my own music teacher was a firm believer in the saying that 'if you can play Bach, you can play anything'. It's a great stepping stone in developing skill. Also, finger exercises such as Hanon will aid in finger strength." Well, considering I was already playing Beethoven and Chopin from about a decade of experience, I didn't expect we'd get very far, but it was at least a start.

"My, well, that seems reasonable. Very well, I will keep that in mind, although it seems I will be requiring your assistance when we cross that bridge." He pulled out a silver Albert and checked the time. "It seems we're just about at one in the afternoon. If it's no hassle at all, it would be in your best interest to join me on my way back to the manor. Of course, I'll be having you returned within reasonable time to the Undertaker. I'm sure he's quite busy considering the time we'd been away."

Undertaker giggled, tipping his hat in acknowledgement. "Right you are, milord~ Go on, dear. Go ahead and get dressed. Wouldn't want to keep the Earl waiting, now do we~" He made shooing motions with his flapping sleeves.

"Alright, alright, I'm going." If I'd had more presence of mind, I would've been embarrassed at my lack of presentation concerning the guest we had since I hadn't showered nor combed my hair. But, one look in the mirror confirmed that I at least didn't seem that much of a mess. With that comfort in my mind, I began my preparations for the manor.

…

The silence in the carriage was stifling, although that may be partly my fault. Undertaker had opted to stay behind, and Zero decided to help out considering he really had nothing to do with the Phantomhives. Therefore, it was just me and Vincent in the carriage. Occasionally, I'd glance at him out of the corner of my eye, and when he caught my gaze, he'd give me a small friendly smile, but I'd look away before he could say anything.

I deadpanned. What I hated most were awkward silences. What was even worse was if I were the one to cause them. Now that was just downright distasteful. Unfortunately, I had made the mistake of pulling out my earbuds - which I had put on the moment we finished greeting each other - and Vincent took his chance to initiate conversation.

"Ah, Miss Rose, before I begin, if I may, what was it that occupied you so to put those strange things in your ears from that collar on your neck?" Vincent never lost that inquisitive state of the nature of my origin, it seemed, and my carelessness would pay the price for it.

I rose an eyebrow before holding up the phone, pressing on the power button for the screen to flash. It displayed the date, time, as well as the album picture and song title, considering I possessed an iPhone, white person that I am. (But of course, not only white people get iPhones if you get my meaning.) "You mean this? Well, music. And these-" I held up the "strange things" that were my lifeline- "are earbuds. Although, normally you'll see that there would be a wire connecting these earbuds to my phone via this headphone jack you can see here, this collar on my neck is what enables to listen without needing a wire there."

Vincent leaned forward to examine the headphone jack with a hand to his chin before processing my words. "So the lack of the wire gives you more freedom to move around? Well, I say!"

I shrugged. "Well, that but also, you don't have to deal with a tangled wire or having to worry about misplacing your headphones when it's just around your neck." I tugged on the collar which was just actually those fancy wireless earphones that came with a collar, the Mpow Jaws to be exact. "They're wireless, to be precise, hence the lack of connection. Of course, they have to be fully charged in order to work."

He smiled politely.

 _Ah, he doesn't know what that means._ I cleared my throat. "Meaning they need sufficient battery charge. Like a human, they need to recharge by eating and drinking to function. It's similar but in that it needs electricity. Don't ask the specifics though since I'm no expert." I held up a finger pointedly, seeing his mouth open before comedically shutting. He looked put out, but I decided a distraction was needed before the conversation was derailed. "Anyhow, milord, you mentioned something you needed to tell me? Besides my phone?"

He frowned before smiling slyly. "Ah, why, yes, of course. It seems we'll be having guests today." He crossed his legs - English men seem to have a habit for doing that - and folded his hands on his lap, no trace of the inquisitive Earl remaining to be seen. "However, no need to be alarmed. Simply relatives coming over to visit."

Curiously, that had the opposite effect on me.

"Also, Madame Red did write a letter to you and wanted me to deliver it personally. She seemed quite secretive about it, however." He reached into his coat to pull out a white envelope which he handed to me.

I glanced at it out of curiosity, flipping it over to see the seal stamped on the front before looking back up at him. "She only needed it mailed to the Undertaker's residence."

He smiled impishly. "Of course, however, she was quite suspicious of your landlord's curiosity and though it better to take preventative measures."

Ah, well, I can't say I blame her, but I wouldn't say Undertaker's that lacking in dignity. "He's not that invasive of privacy." I paused, reconsidered. "Well, at least not that much." I did recall him stealing my phone on several occasions or hiding in various spots to figure out my password. I had to remove the fingerprint option considering he could just use my own handprint if and when I was asleep. But otherwise, no other breach of conduct there. Of course, that didn't mean I _didn't_ have to change my password weekly, or even within the hour, damn that nuisance.

Vincent smirked. "If you say so."

I quirked an eyebrow. _What the hell was that supposed to mean?_ I looked down at the letter again before using a small pocketknife to tear into the envelope and read the letter. Steady silence consumed the carriage as I read her cursive script.

 _Dearest Miss Rose,_

 _Would it be impudent of me to call you Elle? Such a nickname would be rather fitting for you, I would think. Not to mention, less confusion between you and my sister. Anyhow, I quite enjoyed our time together at dinner with the Phantomhives. Your piano playing was quite spectacular, no doubt. You simply must divulge how you came to acquire such mastery with the skill! I must also express my gratitude and congratulations on your behalf of becoming a tutor for my nephews in such a short time. Not many people have the talent of making the youngest one so comfortable within a day, after all._

 _But of course, before I begin to dilly-dally, I wanted to invite you to my manor for tea. I would be delighted to get to know you personally. Being surrounded with men so often simply can't be healthy for a young woman like you. Some girl time here and there ought to add variety, no? I look forward to our time together. However, I must warn you that I am quite busy being a doctor, after all. Simply drop a request for a meeting and we can arrange a date. Until then, dear Elle!_

 _Warmest regards,_

 _Angelina Barnett aka Madame Red_

I blinked. "Well, I hadn't expected for her to consider me a friend so soon, much less invite me for tea."

Vincent smiled, amused. "Well, not many can refuse her charm and wit, after all."

I arched an eyebrow at him before pocketing the note and envelope. "I see. Well, anyhow, anymore questions?"

An innocent smile. "Why, yes, I do, in fact."

Cue internal groaning. I should've known better than to ask.

"I wanted to inquire about your musical taste. Although you seem rather well-versed in the classical repertoire, your preferences seem to be rather broad."

I shifted uncomfortably. _Since when had he noticed this?_ "I see. Well, there's multiple genres, obviously, such as Rock, Heavy Metal, Alternative, Jazz, Pop, Blues, R&B, Rap, Latino, and so on. The list goes on and on. As for my specific tastes, well, it varies based on the song. I may be likened to listen to more Pop Rock and classical music, but I've been working to expand it towards Alternative, Classic Rock, and so on and so forth. But in sum, whatever floats my boat, I'm content to listen to. Recently, remixes and dubstep have also become a huge hit in my generation, which is just basically electronically generated music that uses an original song and basically plays around with it. Of course, they can get away with it so long as it doesn't sound like the original song, otherwise, they can be charged of copyright. That's just about the gist of it." I shrugged.

Vincent looked at me thoughtfully, head tilted. "Do you mind giving me a sample?"

I arched an eyebrow. "Do you even need to ask?" Despite this, I was already fishing my phone out of my pocket, scrolling through my playlists.

All I received was a sly, charming grin.

…

I settled on the piano bench, fingers brushing the ivory after pushing up the wooden part covering the keys. Vincent had already retreated to his office somewhere in the manor, and I had an hour before my lessons with the twins began. Tanaka had escorted me to the music room, and surprisingly remained. I looked out of the corner of my eye to find him dutifully standing guard at the door, patiently waiting for me to play perhaps. I dismissed the thought. More importantly, I finally had free time solely devoted to myself.

After several moments of mulling over what piece to play, I settled on Schumann's A minor Piano Concerto. Despite it being accompanied by an orchestra, the piece itself could be played on its own wonderfully, especially during the cadenza. Eyes closed, I allowed myself to open up, feeling the emotions as the melody rumbled in sync with the arpeggios. Only during these times were I truly vulnerable, and rarely did I play for anyone who would see my eyes closed. Tanaka didn't really count considering I had some regard for him and that he was a servant, not that his socioeconomic status determined his worth. But servants didn't really have the time to worry about people like me, however.

Sometime later, I felt a tingling of my sixth sense. Despite only sensing two presences, I could tell there was definitely someone else in the room, but very well hidden. The unknown stranger didn't exude hostility, but neither did that mean they were any less a problem.

I decided to wait and see what they would, flawlessly carrying on with the piece until I felt the presence right behind me. Then, I acted.

Pulling out my katana, I turned around and was surprised to see it clash against a fencing sword. And of course, said weapon curved in response to my attack. Then, the figure drew back the sword only to lunge it at me again. However, the area was too claustrophobic, and being trapped between the piano and piano bench gave the unknown assailant the upper hand. I kicked the piano bench towards them, seeing the lithe figure clothed in black and masked lunge to the side to evade before pursuing me once more. I made sure to deflect with the flat of my blade, trying to figure out who this was.

Obviously a woman, considering the breast outline, and very experienced, and considering how they got in the manor without raising suspicion meant they were a relative/friend, and only one person matched that description. But of course, they couldn't know that, and they would be rightfully suspicious if I acted like I knew them so I'll just have to act as if I were going to kill them. Hopefully it won't go too far.

But of course, life wouldn't ever be that easy on me. The "unknown" assailant was definitely pushing my boundaries, trying to test my reaction. How would I be able to defeat them without having to kill them yet convince them I was definitely trying to kill them?

That could only mean one thing…

While having my inner monologue, I deflected every parry, thrust and lunge of the sword until I felt the sparring become too drawn out. At the last second, I allowed the sharp edge of my sword to cut through the thin length of the fencing sword before swinging the sword and stopping an inch from their neck.

A terse silence reigned before a voice, muffled by the mask inquired, "Why did you stop?"

I had to answer this carefully or else my cover would be blown. "By deduction alone, the fact that Tanaka didn't react to your presence meant you weren't a threat. However, in relation to me, I suppose he allowed it as a test of skill."

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the old man give a small wrinkled smile.

Taking that as confirmation, I continued. "But of course, this doesn't answer the question of _who_ you are and _why_ you're doing this besides testing me. Otherwise, I can surmise that you're familiar with the Phantomhives for the butler to be at ease and that you have no true intent to kill me."

"Oh? Is that so?" Non-plussed, the woman removed her mask to reveal blonde hair tied up in a bun, aristocratic features and stern blue eyes with fair skin. It was none other than the infamous Francis Midford, Vincent's sister. She gave me a stern, disapproving glare.

I could already guess what it was: Asymmetrical bangs that completely covered the right side of my face giving me a somewhat sloppy face, a slovenly face that could easily be compared to our demon-to-be Sebastian, and my overall dress of pants, a black shirt, and my trench coat. Overall, not a generally pleasing way to greet a noble, of all people. Add to the fact that this is Lady Francis, but of course, she didn't know that I knew that.

"First order of business is to fix your sloppy appearance!"

Ouch.

She marched right over to me and grabbed the bangs, pulling them up to reveal my face. Paused. Then released them and looked away. "Of course, exceptions can always be made."

Huh. Well, whaddya know?

"Oh my, well, I can see you've met Franny~" A familiar voice resounded from behind me, and I turned around to see that it was Madame Red standing in the doorway, hand on her hip. She was giving us peculiar glances seeing as how I still had my sword brandished at Lady Francis' neck. Obviously, a new look for the "intruder" considering her reputation.

Said "intruder" replied to Madame Red with a pointed glance.

I slowly lowered my blade, relinquishing my attention back to the stern blonde who picked up the remaining length of her foil, inspecting it. "While I applaud you on your quick reaction to the "surprise" attack and your swordsmanship, I expect that if such an occasion occurs again, you will not hold back under any circumstances. Is that clear?"

I bowed, sheathing my sword and lowering myself to one knee. "Without a doubt, milady."

She looked down at me before giving me a wry smirk and a stiff nod of approval. Then she walked away, not giving any of us nary a backwards glance.

"Well, that went well," I remarked dryly after waiting to make sure she was gone, straightening to my full height.

Madame Red chuckled. "Well, that's Madame Francis for you. If you didn't know, Vincent's younger sister and married to the Marquis of Midford. Speaking of which, I believe her daughter is also here. She, not the daughter, of course, usually comes to give Ciel fencing lessons. Lizzy just comes over for playdates is all."

I nodded. "I see."

"Well, now that that's settled, there was something I wanted to discuss with you, as per stated within the letter you received, I hope?"

I pulled out the envelope. "Just today, yes."

She smiled. "Very good. But first, we'll have to do about this 'oh so unladylike' appearance of yours." She gave me a smirk with half-lidded eyes.

I merely rose an eyebrow.

She threw her head back and laughed. "Oh, just kidding~ Come along, now. It's been quite a while since I've had some girl time with a woman, and my sister's so busy now that she's married. It's left me quite wanting." She pouted before correcting it with a smirk. "Well, now there's you, so I suppose that's an issue resolved."

I sighed. "If you say so, milady."

A merry giggle followed as she pulled my hand for me to come along.

…

"What do you think?"

I stared in the mirror. I was dressed in a midnight gown of deep purple. The fabric would've been extremely exhausting to wear, but thanks to well-conditioned exercise, it wasn't as bothersome as it should've been. But still, to add on the confusing layers of petticoats and the corset and whatnot, I was just about done for the day. However, the dress itself was beautiful, with black lace covering the bodice and matching black lace fingerless gloves fitted to my hands up to my elbows. All in all, an astonishing taste of preference I hadn't expected Madame Red to notice in me. Or maybe because the dark purple suited me rather well.

I crossed my arms and caught her eye in the reflection, stating, "You do know I am supposed to give a piano lesson within the hour, yes?" The remaining allotted time of what was supposed to be my personal time was only ten minutes. I didn't know what to think. I was just a jumbled mess of exhausted, a bit annoyed, and somewhat exasperated feelings.

She waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, pish-posh, dear. I'm sure Vincent won't mind. Besides, it'll be quite the surprise for the twins to find a lady all nice and dressed up for their very first lesson, don't you think?"

I scoffed. "Who are you calling a lady?"

She smirked wryly. "Oh, don't be so pessimistic. Any woman, with just a little effort, can become a lady. Speaking of which… your hair. Hm, this seems to be quite formidable."

I felt the weight of my hair being lifted by her hands as she played with it.

"Come, sit over here so it's easier for me to style your hair." She had moved from behind me to stand behind a chair she had moved back, gesturing for me to sit in front of the vanity.

Wordlessly, I joined her. I was silent for several moments, gazing at my reflection with hooded eyes as I felt over-bearing guilt crush my conscience until I couldn't bear it any longer. I didn't deserve this gift. Not one bit.

"Madame, if I may? You bought this dress for me, correct?"

She glanced at me, baffled. "Why, yes? Is there an issue with the dress or-?"

"No, that's not it at all. It's just… Why?"

She blinked, obviously expecting a completely different reaction than that. "Why, you ask?" She was silent, hands stilled from coiling and pinning my hair before deciding to play off my intensely simple question as a light joke. "Why, to commemorate our friendship." Her hands resumed their work diligently.

I gave no reply. That really wasn't the answer I was looking for, but to deny the gift would be a slap to the face, too.

Silence reigned for a few more minutes. Six minutes to go before I would be expected. "My, you have such thick hair. And such a lovely ebony color. Doesn't having this heavy weight give you a headache at all?" Any pain that might have registered from how tightly she pulled my hair was completely obsolete by my inner thoughts.

"No, only if I have it up for too long," I mumbled quietly.

She only tilted her head, deciding to finish her work before saying her piece. "Ah, there we are. The very picture of beauty, if I may say so myself. Just a touch of make-up, and you'll have any man jumping at the chance to ask for your hand."

I blinked, taking a moment to register the stranger staring back at me, that imposter who shared the same face as me, but wore such fancy dressing, hair coiled to Victorian standards. No way that was me.

"Why the question, Elle?"

I looked back at her, deciding how to answer it before shaking my head. /No, it was too soon. Besides, she has her own demons to deal with, after all./ I smiled. "No reason, at all. Just wondering."

She gave me a patient smile albeit worried before enveloping her arms around me in a hug.

I froze a little bit, still unaccustomed to such intimacy from strangers but hugged her back lightly. Hesitant.

"You mustn't be so harsh on yourself, Elle. After all, we come from all walks of life. Not all are so pretty and ideal as nobles like to portray." She smirked before squeezing me. "Take care to remember that." She released me with a soft smile before taking a step back to admire her work with a nod. Then her eyes popped open. "Oh! The make-up! Silly me, how could I have forgotten!"

But before she could go on a mad spree over caking chemicals on my face, I decided to stop her, lightly taking hold of her elbow which made her still in shock and look at me with doe eyes. "Don't worry yourself over that. I'm afraid I'll have to regretfully take all this off. It wouldn't be appropriate to teach the twins in. However, I will be keeping the dress. I appreciate the time you spent buying this dress and dressing me up, despite the original plan of not having a make-over when I came over."

Her face that had comically saddened over my words were now beaming with pride and happiness. "Oh Elle, of course you can keep the dress! And please, if you are able, come over to my manor this Saturday. I should be having the day off and we'll spend more time together. Don't mind my husband, though. He'll be quite busy in his office."

"Oh, I see. Alright, it's settled then. What time, though?"

"I have the whole day off, so you may come in the morning if Undertaker allows it."

"I'll talk it over with him."

"Excellent! Oh, but your dress-"

"Don't worry, Madame, I have it taken cared of."

"Already? But it's only been your first time-"

"Trust me. I have quite a good memory."

She gave me a dubious look before relenting. "Oh, alright, if you say so. I'll be expecting you downstairs in the music room. I hope you don't mind my listening in."

I forced a smile. "Of course not, milady. But please, I must get dressed."

"Ah! Yes, tata for now, dear~" She snuck in a wave before closing the door.

I sighed. "Right. Now to get out of this mess." And true to my word, I was dressed in my old attire and down the stairs in the music room within three minutes. To say that Madame Red was shocked to see me all dressed up and ready to go was the understatement of the year. The fiery red-head had already been seated with a cup of tea provided by Tanaka in my absence, yet the tea had just finished steeping. Before I could be assaulted with anymore questions, I addressed the two twins who were seated on the piano bench.

"Alright, who's ready for some learning?"

The two looked at each other before shrugging and with beaming smiles raised their hands, chorused by "Me!"s.

I nodded. "Very well, let us begin."

A/N: I had planned on continuing the lesson this chapter but I decided to include that next chapter. This story was just about reaching 5.5k words when I finished lol. Still, I wonder if any of you would've expected such a quick appearance of Francis. Tbh, I just needed to spice up the story a bit, keep it exciting. Otherwise, hope you enjoyed some Madame Red one on one, as well!

03/31/19


	15. Chapter 14

A/N: Well, I really tried to reach 5k, but alas, 4.7k will have to do. Besides this note. Otherwise, I would've had to go on to rambling, and I'm sure not a lot of y'all will appreciate that. Anyhow, kind of an expected ending, at least for me, but I hope it's enjoyable for you. But, please inform me if it seemed like rambling towards the end. I wanted to spice things up. Now, on to the reviews:

Riddicks-gurl1988: I'm really glad you're enjoying it so far. And I share the same sentiments too according to a romantic Undertaker with Rachel. Basically, a stoic person with a playful/annoying lover, lol. I can't wait to get there. But, until then, there'll be much character development.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kruoshitsuji nor will I ever. Everything read not included in the manga are my ideas and characters alone unless mentioned otherwise.

Chapter 14 Rachel's POV (1st)  
"Alright, since bocchan already has a head start, today, I'll be using Ciel for the majority of my teaching portion of your lesson. Is that agreeable with you two?"

The youngest shrugged. "It's only fair."

"Right, well then. Master Ciel, you ready?" My blank gaze landed on him, and interestingly, he seemed a bit reproachful. However, he nodded enthusiastically and sat on the piano bench next to me. "Right, then. We'll go over the basics."

I pushed the middle C key down with a finger and pointed to the corresponding note on the treble cleft with one of the music books that Vincent had bought. "This here is Middle C, as notated by the note you see here." I tapped on the page. "Each line and space stands for a letter which you'll have to memorize in order to play music easily. The musical alphabet starts with A and ends with G. The note above C would be D, and it would look like this." I drew a note to the right that was higher than the C and attached to the bottom line.

"How come it doesn't have a line like middle C?" Ciel had leaned forward in interest, like his younger brother, to see how I notated the letter. "And how come only up to G? Why not all the way to Z?"

"But wouldn't that make it confusing to memorize all the letters of the notes?" Bocchan, this time, inquired.

I huffed, amused at their exchange. "Excellent observation you two. Well, first of all, you'll see that in other pieces of music, there are only five lines and four spaces as standard. All notes above and below that don't fit within those five lines receive their own line, depending on their position. So, like middle C, it has a line across the note, but D doesn't because its within a space if we imagine the line middle C has was the sixth line. Like so, going from Middle C, the note above would be D, E, F, G, A, and so forth until G." I finished drawing the notes, ending with the note that rested above the top line and tapped it for emphasis.

"For your homework, I want you to memorize all the notes and their letters that you see here. I'll quiz you on their placement by the end of this week. It would help for you two to make flashcards and quiz each other so it's easier." Seeing them both nod, I continued. "And before I get, this here is under treble cleft, also known as G cleft. It is the region within which your right hand will play. Usually." I drew the cleft at the far left of the measure then tapped it with the eraser end of the pencil. "This is what it looks like."

"What about the left hand then?" Said Ciel.

"Then that would be the Bass cleft, which would look like this." I drew a backwards C before adding two dots behind it. "This cleft is usually played by the left hand and sung by the Bass line of the choir. As for the other two clefts, we'll get to those later. But for now, all you need to know is that the bottom space starts with A and the top space is G."

I tilted my head for a moment before deciding to add a tip. "Just so it's easier, you can remember all the space notes of the treble cleft as FACE and the line notes using this sentence: Every Good Bird Does Fly. Just take the first letter of each word. Same thing with the bass cleft, but for the space notes, this sentence: All Cars Eat Gas. As for the line notes, just fill in the gaps. You can make up your own if you like." I sighed, slouching. /That was quite the mouthful./

I looked down at the twins, seeing their heads tilt this way and that while processing the overload of info I gave them. "If it's too overwhelming, just memorizing treble cleft will do fine. But, if you manage to memorize both as well as do well with note memorization, I'll give both of you a prize."

They both gasped, eyes lit up at the prospect of a challenge.

/Well, there you go. Problem solved./ I heard a chuckled from Madame Red which I pointedly ignored as they clamored excitedly.

"Do we each have to pass?"

"Do all of them have to be correct?"

"What if we make a mistake!"

Two sets of watery azure looked at me, having already forgotten over the prize. /Well, so much for the prize./

"About that, I'll give you chances to redeem yourself. However, if you make the same mistake more than twice, then it'll count against you. How does that sound?"

They agreed unanimously with furious bobs of their head.

"Alright, then moving on. Part of the essentials of music is learning scales. A scale, which is major or minor, is a set of eight keys or notes. Some will be all white, some will have some black keys, depending on the type of scale. For now, I'll familiarize you with major scales."

I cleared my throat, shifting on the bench before pressing middle C with my thumb. "The first scale you'll learn is C Major. It has no sharps or flats, and so we'll only use white keys." I played the scale slowly for them to see going up and down. "For this scale, since you don't have eight fingers, you'll have to transition from your third finger to your thumb to reach the last five notes."

I turned to Master Ciel. "Here, I'll have you try."

He blinked startled, before smiling excitedly and placing his right hand on the keyboard, looking at my hand occasionally for placement. While he played, I would correct his finger position, guiding him up and down the scale before doing the same with bocchan.

"Alright, excellent you two. Now, for the left hand…"

…

I sighed, slumping against the chair opposite to Madame Red in exhaustion. Two hours. That, in all, took two hours: one hour of teaching, and then thirty minutes for the twins each. Eventually, it would have to extend to an hour each once they started playing harder pieces. I pursed my lips. /If/ we ever reach that point.

Madam Red eyed me over her cup of tea which she brought to her lips, most likely hiding a smirk. She chuckled. "My, peaked already, dear?"

I closed my eyes, desperate for some patience of any kind. "Those two might as well be incubi. They seem to suck the energy right out of me." I opened my eyes to see Tanaka place a cup of tea before me, thanking him quietly as he nodded in acknowledgement. I took a sip. Not really my cup of tea, literally, but I'd take anything at this point.

"Fufu~ I only wonder how well you'll fare in a party that I'll be hosting sometime soon." She placed her cup down and regarded me with some amusement.

I crinkled my nose. "Spare me. I don't need all of England coming after me." /And, besides, I'd take Undertaker's company over obnoxious snobs/, I added silently. /No matter how annoying he may be./

"My dear, you simply can't be cooped up for too long. Why, you'd lose your sanity sooner than you think!"

"Hmph. As much as I appreciate the concern, the only thing I'd be missing is a good book and some sleep."

A chuckled erupted out of her, but a stern voice pierced the atmosphere just as well. "While I agree with Ms. Rose's opinion, hiding from the public is cause for suspicion just as well. It would be in your best interest to abate the issue before it becomes a problem." Marchioness Midford.

I looked behind me to see her glaring at my unsightly posture. /Huh./ I straightened and faced Madame Red but looked down at my tea cup, mulling it over some. "I suppose it's worth the debut."

I heard a clap and a way-too-enthusiastic giggle erupt from Madame Red. "Oh, how splendid!~ Very well then, how about it, Franny dear? A little break from the little tots shouldn't hurt."

The Marchioness sat, perched in a dignified manner as she patiently waited for Tanaka to poor her some tea. "Such engagements are beneath me, Ann. I have more pressing manners than to waste the night away at some insignificant ball."

I would've snorted had she not been present.

Madame Red simply pouted at her before scoffing, dismissing her refusal with the wave of her hand. "Never you mind, then." She looked over at me and crossed her legs. "However, the invitation wasn't the only reason why I came here. I'm sure Elle dear, here, would know why from my letter."

I nodded. /Where was this going?/

"Well, I'd like to invite you to my manor."

I raised my eyebrows, and in my peripheral, Lady Francis also did the same.

She continued, unperturbed. "Think of it as more of a "Get To Know You Better" event."

I sweat-dropped. "I suppose I'll have to accept. I'll just need to discuss this with my boss."

"That's right. You work for the Undertaker, do you not?" To my left, Lady Francis seemed even more displeased at my disposition as his apprentice.

/Jeez, I'm just digging myself a deeper hole at the rate I'm going, and I'm sure Undertaker's only contributing./ I shook my head to clear my thoughts. "Somewhat, but it's more of an apprenticeship. I'm not sure for how long I'll stay, but so long as the contract remains, there I'll be, my Lady."

A contemplative hum, but nothing else.

Then…

"Mother!" A jovial, youthful voice was just outside the door. Tanaka answered it, and before the door even fully opened, a blur of blonde hair and frilly dresses was headed straight for the Marchioness. "Mother, you wouldn't believe it! Ciel says that they got a piano tutor and had their first lesson today! Why can't we get one, either?" She bounced on her feet, as if the news of excitement was so overwhelming that it was consuming her overall.

Francis looked down at her daughter with slight distaste at her behavior. "First and foremost, a lady is patient. It is ill-mannered to rush to someone's side with urgency over such insignificant news. Second, if you'd like to meet this new tutor of yours, she's just right there, Elizabeth." She nodded her heads towards me, and a miniature version of the 14 year old she-demon from the manga turned her glimmering emerald eyes towards me and beheld with much excitement and admiration.

"Oh, why, hello, there! My name's Elizabeth, but you can call me Lizzy. How do you do?" She curtsied, and in haste, I stood up, nearly bumping the table before bowing. I didn't really have the dress to curtsy anyhow.

"As well as the day find me, my Lady. And you?" I straightened. I could only hope I was faking this well.

"Rather well, thank you for asking." With that done, she rushed right in to the original topic. "So how was it? The piano lesson?"

"Well, both of Earl Phantomhive's sons have been assigned the same homework, and by next piano lesson, I shall be ascertaining their progress. It's far too seen to see who has a knack for music, but for their first lesson, they've done rather well in absorbing information." That was really all I could offer.

"Oh, how exciting! I wish I could be part of it! Can't I, mother?" She looked to her mother with big eyes, but Lady Midford's fortitude remained virile as ever.

"I'm afraid not, Elizabeth. You have no need for such a skill. Besides, there are more pressing matters to attend to. Speaking of which," she opened an eye and squinted at me. "Despite my displeasure at my brother's hasty decision, I do believe I can entrust my nephews' tutelage to you. You've proven mastery in your skill and a firm hand in teaching. I trust you will maintain your performance?" The way she phrased it seemed less of a question and more like a demand.

"Without a doubt, milady."

She huffed in approval before standing up. "Come, Elizabeth. We have much to do, and no time to spare. Angelina, until we meet again. And Tanaka, lovely tea, as always." The elderly man dipped his head humbly as Madame Red waved her hand.

And apparently, having gotten over the excitement about the new piano tutor, Elizabeth rushed over to give Madame Red a hug before leaving out the door behind her mother. "Bye, Aunt Red. I do hope we'll get to play some more, next time!"

"And I you, dear~!" Madame Red waved at her fondly before sighing wistfully. "Ah, children. Don't you ever wish for any, dear Elle?"

I lifted a prudish eyebrow at her. "Not anytime soon."

She smirked at that. "Fair enough, I suppose. Although preference does play heavily into that." She sighed before looking at her abdomen. "My husband and I were successful in trying for a baby." She smiled gently, a hand at her stomach. "I can just only hope that I'm able enough to carry it to term."

I nodded, not knowing what else to say. I felt a stab of guilt. What could I say to her, that within a couple of months, she'll be in an accident that'll make her lose her baby and her husband.

/I just have to keep my distance. It's better this way for everyone. I can't risk screwing up the future./

"But, enough chit chat. The ball wasn't really the sole reason I came here."

"I assume you're referencing to that "Get To Know You Better" Event you unoriginally came up with when Madame Francis was present."

She snorted. "Yes, that."

I frowned. "I thought we already discussed this?"

She shook her head, "No, it's more than that. I think that you are in dire need of a friend."

A snort came out before I could stifle it. /A friend? What made her think that?/

She lifted a calm eyebrow but continued anyway. "You remind me so much of myself when I was younger. But, this isn't out of pity, per se. Think of it more as a smoother transition into proper society."

"And what makes milady so sure of that?"

Her ruby red eyes glinted, and I felt dread pool my stomach. "Well, I'm sure you'll be needing a touch-up on how to interact with the lords and ladies, not to mention how often you'll be encountering them on your cases."

"Did the Earl put you up to this?"

"Fufufu~, I understand why you'd think that, but you can say he inspired the idea. Just think of it as a favor from a friend. Speaking of which, you're welcome to call me Angelina when we're alone."

My eyes strayed to Tanaka whose face betrayed no emotion. "If you say so, milady."

She tilted her head and gently smiled before looking behind. "Oh, would you look at the time."

I glanced behind me. /Whoops, time to go./

"You should probably hail for a carriage. The Earl may just deliver you home with one of his servants. I'll let him know now. And, I'm looking forward to our event this Friday." She winked at me playfully with a smile.

I deadpanned. She reminded me so much of a certain someone. Someone who was also a red-head.

Coincidences just love to run into each other, don't they?

"The feeling's mutual, Madame Red. I'll be there by the appointed time and date."

"Excellent! Now, about that carriage…"

…

I sighed.

"Hihi~ How was it, m'dear?" His presence drew nearer to my slumped over figure on the desk.

My head lolled to the side to give him a tired glare. "How do you think it went?"

A snicker. His robes rustled as he sat next to me before I heard the /clink/ of a glass being placed near my head. The aroma of tea persuaded my eyes to open, and I sat up, eagerly drinking it.

"Well now, I wouldn't know if my assistant slumped over her brand new desk wouldn't tell me~"

My brow ticked. "As if being set up by Lady Francis and spending two hours doing piano lessons are your definition of fun. And don't get me started on- Wait, what?"

/Brand new desk?…/

I scooted back on the coffin we sat on, to have a better look, and sure enough, an oak desk stood in place of the coffin I used to have. A smaller version than what he had, but with enough workspace to be able to do work - meaning his paperwork - but comfortably eat/drink.

"You just had this replaced today?"

He giggled, holding a sleeve to his mouth in what made him appear to be bashful. "Well, when I thought of my assistant having to slouch over while doing work, I decided I couldn't bear the thought of you having back issues!" He then grinned. "So I bought a new one."

I was silent, staring at him for a minute before looking at the desk. "You didn't have to do that. You could've just moved the desk from my room down here. But, thank you." I was suspicious, but I guess he cares in his own way.

"Of course, m'dear. Besides, if I moved the desk down here, I wouldn't be able to bring you food and eat next to you. Or read with a buddy."

I blanked. "There's a chair."

He pouted, poking at my cheek with a sharp nail. "Meanie~"

I pushed his hand away. "Don't touch me with that nail. Lord knows where or whom you've stuck it in and how well you've cleaned it."

The last time I had seen him take care of a body, which wasn't very long ago, he only dipped his hands in water before drying it. That gesture alone told me he had no clue what kind of germs were wriggling around in those claws of his.

(Flashback)

"You seriously call that cleaning?"

He looked at me baffled before looking at his hands, stopped midway with drying with a rag. "Well, of course, m'dear. Can't have the germs be spreading around, now, can we~?" He wiggled his fingers at me, and the effort of my frown was making my eye twitch.

"That's exactly what you're doing."

He tilted his head. "Hm?"

I groaned, reaching for my bag which Zero had given me, and looking for the hand sanitizer. As my hand ruffled its contents, I resumed explaining. "Just dipping your hands in water doesn't do shit. If anything, you're just giving them a bath." Having located the small bottle, I walked over to him before holding out my hand. "Hands."

His mouth was agape, curious on why I was so bothered but played along. He held his hands over mine and watched as I squirted the belly substance before rubbing it firmly over his hands, especially over his fingertips, under the nails, and the crevices. He would giggle occasionally every time my nose twitched when I touched his nails, but I carried on explaining nonetheless.

"This solution here is called a hand sanitizer." When the gel was evenly spread, I let go of his hands which he held to his face, inspecting them. "They'll dry so you don't need to worry about a rag. But!" I held up a warning finger. "From now on, anytime you have to disinfect your hands, you better use this. It'll disinfect the germs and bacteria that you attained from touching corpses so that you don't end up spreading them to your customers."

He grinned, taking the bottle and holding it up close to his face. "Interesting. And if I don't?"

My eyebrow raised out of its own volition. "Then I'm punishing you. By making sure you never see your cookies again. And, you can say goodbye to my cooking."

The smirk that rose on his face from my reply had progressively fallen until he was looking at me dejectedly with a bigger pout, like some child that was punished too harshly. "Do you truly hate me that much, love?"

I snorted. "Why would I hate you? I'm telling you this for your own good. Especially where your business is concerned, you don't want to build a reputation of infamously getting your customers sick just from visiting you."

He still wouldn't stop pouting, and now he refused to look at me, lower lip jutting out as he hid his hands in his sleeves but still clutching the bottle based on the noticeable bump it made.

I sighed again. Now, /I/ felt bad. "Alright, I take back what I said about cooking. But I'll hide your cookies until you start using it."

He perked before rushing over to me and nuzzling my cheek with his, the scar brushing up and down mine as his arms held me tightly against him. "Aww, I knew you cared about me! Don't deny it, dear~ Lying is unbecoming of a lady~"

"Oi!" I struggled to make him release me, pushing on his arms but he only held me tighter. Realizing the futility of my efforts, I gave up, all resistance drained out of me.

He chuckled but didn't say anything, carrying me as if I were a rag doll, my feet swinging a few inches above the ground before his body suddenly twitched.

/Oh, what now?/

"You have to tell me you like me."

"What?"

He grinned down at me as I looked up. His chest was smushed against mine, which may have made us look oddly intimate to the outside eye. "Tell me you like me."

"Why in the world would I like you? You're my boss!"

/What in the world did that even have to do with anything?/

"Pah! Even bosses can be friends with their employees~"

I felt my eye twitch again as he was back to nuzzling my face, the scar giving me tingles. Well, fine. If that was all it took for me to release him.

"Ok, I like you… as a friend."

He stilled.

Nothing.

"Oi! Let me go already, I did what you asked!" I pushed on his chest now but he was still silent.

I sighed again. There must be something else he wants. "What is it?"

"We need something to commemorate this event~" He sounded so determined, it was almost scary.

I just played along. "Like what?"

He paused, as if the thought just occurred to him."Good question, m'dear. Let me think on that~"

He carried me like the rag doll I was to the coffin I sat at and positioned me to sit next to him, but with his arms still around me.

"Will you let me go already?"

"Hihi, nope~"

Admitting defeat, I sighed through my nose, resting my chin on my hand as I stared off into space while he thought.

"A nickname!"

"What?"

He beamed down at me as if I was the one to come up with the idea. "A nickname. Give me one that you'd like to call me by."

I squinted at him. "Uh, wouldn't I have to know your actual name for that?"

He grinned cryptically but didn't say anything.

/Alright, guess that's a no./ I looked away. It'll have to do something with Undertaker, then.

Hm… Taker? No, too odd. Unders! I tilted my head. A bit long, though. I blinked, then suddenly it came to me. The shortest name known to mankind. Un.

Perfect. It was short enough that it was just one syllable and only two letters.

"Un."

"Hm?"

"That's your nickname: Un."

His mouth was agape, apparently not having expected that. "Un~… Hmm, quite the peculiar name." He tested it out before nodding in approval. "Very well, then. Un it is, hihi~"

/What a relief./ I nudged his arms. "Now will you let me go?"

He released me but not before crooking a finger under my chin and directing my gaze to his, an exposed lime green eye locking to my silver. "Not anytime soon." With a bop to my nose with his finger he stood up abruptly and walked away as if nothing happened.

…um, what?

(Present)

I deadpanned. How we went from cleaning hands to making up nicknames was beyond me, but I guess that's what you could expect from introverts. Anything that could hold our attention was worth discussing about.

All this time, I didn't realize I was staring at Undertaker like a specimen until he tilted his head and grinned.

"Dearest?"

"Huh?"

"Is something the matter?"

I blinked. Oops, lost in my head again. I shook my head, "No, it's nothing."

I'd already forgotten what we were doing earlier until he poked my side with a nail again. /I swear to God…/

"Y'know, love, you haven't called me by my nickname yet."

He was like a kid. A gigantic kid who didn't when to stop being annoying. "Well, it's not like I have to fight for your attention or anything. Besides, we live in the same building." Of course, I didn't just say, "Hey, you" but sometimes I didn't even have to call him out in order to get his attention.

He pouted. "But you're supposed to use my nickname~" He crossed his arms and huffed. "Fine~ I'll just ignore you until you use it."

/Okay…/

I decided to test it out. "It's a nice desk."

I glanced from the corner of my eye. Nothing.

Looking back at the desk, I suddenly wondered what Zero did for the whole day I was absent. "Did Zero help put this here?"

Still nothing. He still had his arms crossed but was now also deliberately looking away.

Okay, now I was starting to get annoyed.

"You know, Madame Red invited me to a ball. I don't know when it will be, but she might also invite you, too."

Not even a peep.

I sighed. Alright, I was done with this charade. "Un."

He twitched before turning and bestowing towards me his biggest smile. "Yes, dear?"

I hesitated. I was going to yell at him to cut it out, but now, I'm not so sure. He was still waiting for what I had to say, so I lamely retorted, "Thanks for the desk."

He giggled. "Of course, dear."

I sighed, putting a hand to my forehead. /What in the world made me think I could keep up with this guy?/ As I rubbed my temple, another thought came to me. /Are we getting too familiar with each other?/

I paused. It had only been two weeks since I came here, and yet I was getting comfortable with our routine. Of course, I wasn't completely settled in. I could move out without breaking any ties completely. We had somewhat of a formal friendship between Un and I. What if it progresses beyond that though?

I frowned. I couldn't allow that to happen. Not here, not ever, and most definitely not now. The last thing I needed was some kind of bias once the manga started.

I sat in heavy silence. I'll have to establish distance between us. It's our only chance. Besides, I was in an advantageous position of watching over the Phantomhives but not interfering too much. Unless if it was one of their cases. But it's a start, nonetheless.

"Hey, Un. I have a favor to ask." I turned to him, still halfway lost in my thoughts.

He turned to me, not expecting me to react so oddly. "What is it, dear?"

"It's something to do with the contract. This is my only wish: Don't become romantically attached to me."

An awkward yet stifling silence hung between us.

"And why's that?" I could see from his contemplative frown that he was trying to figure out why.

"Because if you do, I'll have to quit and find a new job, move somewhere else."

He was still disturbingly silent.

"Just promise me that you'll do that much for me. Okay? Friends is fine, but beyond that, well…" I trailed off.

"I see…" He didn't really affirm or disapprove of my condition.

But at least now he knows.

04/30/19


	16. Chapter 15

A/N: Is this an early update? Yes. Will there be another update within the same month? Currently working on it. I wanted to see if I could attempt weekly updates. Technically, this was supposed to be up last week to celebrate the end of college, but plans changed, and then procrastination/laziness took over. But, here it is. I've already begun the next chapter, and this chapter reached 5.5k, so I'm pretty happy.

Some trigger warnings ahead, the beginning is rather depressing and depicts the aftermath of abuse, but nonetheless, for those who are sensitive, you are welcome to skip, but you may be missing a crucial part of the story. Second, you'll notice it'll say 2nd/3rd POV. It might be confusing, so I'll just say that it's somewhat of a shared perspective between Rachel (3rd) and the Unknown (2nd). I hope that clears that up. If not, you're welcome to leave questions in your reviews or PM me.

Now, no reviews (aside from anon which is probably a troll message) that need replies, but otherwise, I appreciate all my silent readers. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroshitsuji nor will I ever. Everything read not included in the manga are my ideas and characters alone unless mentioned otherwise.

Chapter 15 Unknown's POV (2nd/3rd)  
 _(sometime in Rachel's childhood)_  
 _7-year old Rachel_  
 _The rat bastard left her there. In the barely built house. Stained with sin. Trembling. Cold. All those beatings that took an ounce of life from her, black and blue all over._

 _She couldn't get up._

 _An arm lifted itself weakly. A soft whimper before it collapsed under her._

 _'No. Not here. You can't give up here.'_

 _She was so close to giving up. Why even bother? What was the point if everyday would be the same damn routine._

 _She winced just from the thought. 'No, I can't die here. I won't._

 _With newfound strength, she tried again. Nothing. She grunted weakly in frustration._

 _Then, all of a sudden, she felt a dark presence next to her. He was back._

 _She flinched, crying out from pain, and fear, and-_

 _"Shh, hush, now, child. I won't hurt you." Gentle hands - yours - tried reaching for her, but she huddled closer into herself._

 _'No! He's going to hurt me again!' A tear escaped, barely even staining the mottled floor she cowered on._

 _A dim light flickered on and off the dank room, a stellar representation of her fluctuating trust. She couldn't trust strangers, not after-_

 _"Please, Rachel, let me help you." Your soft voice albeit urgent was also pleading, desperate. Pained._

 _He knew her name. But how? Only he did. But he never begged. No, he only took and hurt and yelled. No, this one was different._

 _She was still afraid to look up, but when the hands tipped with black nails coaxed her gently into their strong arms and warmth, she fussed, crying. "It hurts, it hurts!"_

 _A pained sound escaped you whilst holding her, and you held her tighter. Just barely. "I know, child, I know. Just, please, no more crying…"_

 _She sniffled, pathetically, shivering and cold but stuck between burrowing further into his clothes or struggling to get away. Eventually, she gave in to the inviting warmth, not making a sound as she felt the man slowly begin to pet her head. She sighed, cuddling closer. Uncaring of whether this was reality or an illusion. She'd take anything in this state over_ him _._

 _Then, she decided that she wanted to see you. This savior who rescued her. She tried opening her eyes, and the first thing she saw was dark. No, not dark, black._

 _You were wearing black. All black. Her squinting eyes tried traveling higher. Your face. She wanted to see your face. To makes sure that it wasn't_ him _._

 _"Don't strain yourself, my dear. It'll only hurt worse." The soft deep voice was bemoaning her._

 _No, she had to know. Her small, dirty hands pulled on your clothes, gripping with whatever miry strength she possessed. She strained higher, moaning from the pain until she saw him. No, she saw you._

 _Her mouth gaped at your inhuman eyes staring back at her. No, it wasn't him._

 _She wanted to cry with relief. Her hand that was fisted in his clothes tugged several times. "Save me, p-please. Take me away from here… It hurts."_

 _Your eyes creased with pain and guilt. "I can't, my dear. They won't…" You sighed. "They won't allow me to."_

 _Her heavy silver eyes that once gleamed hopefully at you began to dull, and with each darker shade, you felt your heart tugging tighter with guilt._

 _Her lips that were pulled in a little smile began to recede, and your anger from remembering about the rat bastard beating her rekindled. No, you definitely wouldn't just leave her like that. They won't let you do anything. Not yet. But, oh, how badly you wanted to kill him. That lowly filth who dared lay hands on her._

 _"I promise you, my dear. I will find a way out of this for you. On my heart, I promise."_

 _She sniffled, jerking from the force of her sobs. "Why? Why me?" She couldn't imagine why anyone would want to save her out of their own volition._

 _You stilled as you held her. Then you smirked sadly. 'If only she knew.' So you decided you'd tell her._

 _Looking down at her, you used a finger to tilt up her chin. She was sitting in your lap, your arm around her to shield her from her harsh reality and protect her from the cold. And mustering the gentlest smile you could offer, you said to those weary and dull silver eyes looking up at you, simply, "Because you are my dearest treasure."_

…

Rachel's POV (1st)  
I jerked awake, bolting upright on my bed, gasping for breath.

 _What was that?_

Then, I registered a presence to my right and was surprised to find myself gripping the outstretched wrist of Undertaker who had a concerned frown on his face with my right hand. "My dear?"

I blinked before looking away. Still trying to catch my breath.

 _I can't let him see me like this._

I shook my head. "I'm fine." I swallowed thickly, trying to work some moisture into my mouth. I shook my head.

 _Deep breaths, Rachel. Deep breaths._

I exhaled, releasing his wrist before feeling his hand enclose around mine, and I looked at him, confused.

He still had a disconcerting frown on his face, probably from doubting my answer. He'd yet to say anything more.

"What?"

He tilted his head before releasing my wrist just as quickly. A flashed smile. "Nothing at all, m'dear~ Just simply wondering why you weren't waking up."

I blinked and slowly nodded. "Okay…"

He grinned, giggling under his breath. "Now then, this is no time for idle chit-chat! We have much to do, much to do~" He was tugging on my wrist now, trying to get me out of bed like some impatient child who wanted to show me something.

I quirked my mouth. Or in this case, get me to do more of his paper work. "Can you just allow me a few minutes to get changed and washed up, at least?"

He held up a sleeved hand, covering his grin as chuckles pealed out. "Hihihi~ You and your rigorous routine! Why you bother with such meaningless trifles eludes me~"

I sniffed derisively. "Better than rolling out of bed and walking around in the same dirt and attracting more dirt only to dirty your sheets more. At least I can say I have a sense of hygiene." I had walked about the room, collecting articles of clothing I needed and a towel before brushing past him and into his bathroom.

I set the clothes on the counter before prepping for my morning bath. Hearing steps behind me stop at the doorway, I didn't have to turn around and see the sardonic grin he had on his face. I concentrated on warming the water into the bucket he had in the basin.

His bathroom was bare but clean, at least. Well, at least the stereotypical bathroom a third-class citizen would possess. But, if Yana was actually serious, then Undertaker probably didn't take baths often, which was why his hair appeared silvery-gray rather than white. It still looked marvelous, for a guy's hair, but still, his canonically lack of hygiene was rather concerning, even if he were a reaper who needn't be concerned with bacteria.

My mouth quirked, and when I still didn't feel him leave, I sighed in exasperation. "Plan on leaving anytime soon?" I turned around and found him leaning against the door post, arms crossed with a smirk. My eyes narrowed. "What?"

His smirk only grew. "For a demon, I find it intriguing that you are so meticulous with human routine. Why go through all the hard work at all~?"

I paused, one hand in the bucket to gauge the temperature as the other rested on the faucet. I blinked at him before raising an eyebrow. "Aside from the fact that I'd have to appropriate some aspects of their daily lives to fit in, I've grown up among them, as well. Why wouldn't I bother?"

His head tilted, considering me thoughtfully. "There's no need for you to maintain a human facade here, m'dear. Your secret is quite safe with me~"

I scoffed. "Hah, depending on whom, you mean." I faced forwards, missing the smirk on his face and turned off the faucet before standing up and pointing at him. "You. Leave." I waved my hand dismissively at him. "I'll be taking a bath and no audiences are allowed."

He relented with a chuckle before straightening up. "As the lady commands. I'll be awaiting downstairs, in that case." He closed the door, booted feet walking away.

I shook my head, huffing. "Yeah, I'm sure you will," I murmured. Dipping my hand in the water again to make sure it didn't cool off, I stripped off my shirt and pajamas. No way I would be wearing those nightgowns my tailor made, not if I felt like I couldn't breathe.

I stepped into the bathtub before using a cup to pour the lukewarm water over my head. Normally, I wouldn't mind a shower, but at least this process was quicker. But, it made me colder, too. Already feeling goosebumps pebble on my skin, I quickly used whatever products he had offered, most of which were for men, so I'd smell rather odd for a few days until we got out and bought some stuff for me.

Having scrubbed soap and shampoo and conditioner into my hair, I dumped the rest of the water, cleaning off the suds before drying off and putting on the dress. Thankfully, the "corset" wasn't actually an corset but mainly for show and easily self-tied. After tightening it until it became uncomfortable, I slipped on the stockings and the the knee-high boots.

I sighed. _Well, I can at least cross out "cosplay as a Victorian" off my to-do list._

I snorted.

Now for my hair. It was still slightly damp, but since I'd rolled it into the towel to keep from dripping onto my clothes, I'd have to comb it out until it was dry. Or just rub it dry and work out the tangles later.

Don't get me wrong, but being able to take a bath meant not feeling dirty the whole day. The first chance I'd had right after being injured, I stayed for a whole half hour, which cracked up my boss to no end, but he could shove it.

Putting down the comb, I looked at the mirror. It creeped me out how different I looked every time I saw my reflection, which wasn't very often. It's like I couldn't recognize myself anymore. I tilted my head and watched it do the same. I frowned. Shrugged.

It's not that big a deal.

It shouldn't be.

I closed the door.

…

It had only been a couple of hours, yet Undertaker wouldn't stop glancing at me. The first quarter of the hour, I politely ignored it, simply going through the motions of dusting, sweeping, the works. Breakfast hadn't been all that interesting, and since I both hate and suck at small talk, silence would have to do. Except for the fact that awkward silences were also just god-awful uncomfortable, and to top it off, Undertaker had just simply stared at me while eating with no expression whatsoever. He wasn't mad, but he wasn't happy either, simply deep in thought.

I deadpanned. If it was because of yesterday, then I wouldn't know what to do. I wouldn't apologize for what I said since it was all true. I looked down, sweeping up the last of the dust and dirt into a small tray before dumping it in the trash. Since I'd finished off dusting not too long ago, I decided it was about time we did something about those cobwebs.

Feeling a stare burning at my back, I decided that rather than attempt to look at him and get him to say whatever he's got going inside his mind like I've tried for the past half hour or so, it would be in my best interest to just start acting random.

Henceforth, the sudden wacking at the cobwebs that clung to the side of the walls and the corners of the room. Did I care that I was ruining the atmosphere of his shop? Fuck, nah. I cannot, could not, and will not stand for bugs of any kind. My neck craned upwards in an attempt to spot any that I missed before turning around hands on my hips to stare daggers at him.

The sound had startled him so much that he'd stopped working to watch me beat down the layers of dust and spiders inhabiting the nook and crannies of his shop. His mouth which had been agape was now set in a frown, almost a pout, really. I guess he didn't like seeing all his "hard work" going to waste, i.e. him not moving a goddamn inch to actually clean his shop.

"Dear, what are you doing?"

What an obvious question. One that did not deserve an obvious answer. I ignored him and went back to walking at his walls, dodging the occasional critter that somehow managed to find a living here. Well, nevermore, in that case.

"Dearie~"

 _Whack._

"Ellie, are you ignoring me?~"

 _Stomp!_ Another bug dead that won't be missed.

"Rachel-"

"You!" I pointed an accusing finger at him, disgust plain on my face though I doubt he could see it. The trail of dead bugs that had been smacked or squashed on only inciting my anger further. "You ought to be ashamed with how many of these disgusting things you allow to live here."

Aside from the blatant smirk on his face, I could imagine he had his eyebrows raised as well. "Oh? You mean these poor innocent critters that lent a hand in establishing the mood for my shop?~"

I sneered at his misplaced pity. "Innocent? Hah, those things shouldn't even be alive."

I could see him grow amused at having figured out a dislike of mine that he'd no doubt be utilizing in the near future to get me to do what he wanted. At that thought, I pointed my broom at him and rose my eyebrow to show him I was not shitting around. "I suggest you abandon whatever thoughts are running inside your head."

"And if I don't?" Came the cocky reply.

"I'll make sure to bite back twice as hard. Try me."

The stare-off ensued as he decided, deliberately dragging on the suspense. Then the corner of his mouth quirked upwards, dubious of my intent and self-assured of his victory. "Heh, not if your conscience gets you first~"

I growled. "That's it! You're getting it!" I suddenly appeared in front of him, swinging the broom to knock him on his ass, but, of course, he evaded easily. He pranced around the room, dodging just at the last minute as I tried to get him with my broom. In all our fool-hardy, I failed to take account of the possibility of anyone walking in on us like this…

… which manifested into the scenario we found ourselves in, now. The dreaded bell on his door rang, and the broom which was held in the air via me akin to a bat ready to swing paused, allowing the unsuspecting guest a more than welcome glimpse into the madness the shop contained. Whatever rumors there were that floated about me and the Undertaker were further cemented by what would've been a comical scene of me trying to beat up my boss had it been the right crowd. Alas, no such luck.

Seeing me, the subordinate, attempting to beat up my boss with said broomstick was all the persuasion the potential customer needed to get the hell out. Already drained of color, the guest managed to sputter, "U-um, I'm very s-sorry to have interrupted. I-I'll just take my leave now." And with haste, he slammed the door closed, hurried footsteps walking away in an attempt to recover some of his sanity.

I looked back only to find a creepy grin on Undertaker's face, aimed at where the former guest was. Ah, well then, glad to know that I wasn't the only contributor to this odd turn of events. Then, before I knew it, my back slammed against the wall with a grunt, the stick of the broom almost pressing against my throat had I not pushed back. He'd moved before I could even react, all within the span of a second, maybe even less. A millisecond? Does that even exist?

A sharp black fingernail poked my nose to bring my attention back to him. I sighed, disgruntled when his cocky smirk came into view. "What?"

"What was that about you biting back twice as hard, my dear?" He emphasized his words by increasing the pressure, forcing me on the defensive.

"Who said anything about it being right now?" I bit back, gritting my teeth at the effort to fight back the pressure he was exerting.

"Well now, a penny for your thoughts?~" A sneaky nail poked the cheek hidden intentionally by my bangs, and I had to turn my head to look at him while trying to keep it out of reach from his nosy fingers.

I scoffed. "Tch! Yeah, you first."

From the way his grin widened, I could tell he was enjoying the mini verbal spat, aside from the fact that he was inches away from crushing my throat with a broomstick. "Oh? And what makes you think you're in any position to make demands~"

I rose the only visible eyebrow facing him. "Rich talk for a guy who can't seem to say what he wants for literally two hours and is yet still having trouble figuring out how to say it. Oh yeah, it's that obvious." I nodded enthusiastically, which seemed to simultaneously amuse and annoy him.

"Hihihi!~ Now, now, some mercy for this poor hermit. After all, I was a lonely old man with no one for company before you came along."

I snorted. "Excuses. With how long you've been around, one would think that you would've already formed some socialization skills."

"How cruel~" A finger poked my side, making me squeak.

 _Oh God, no..._

"Oh? Is someone ticklish, I wonder?" I saw from the corner of my eye, a hand flex dangerously close to my side, threatening oncoming torture if I didn't act fast enough.

I squirmed helplessly before blurting out, "Hey! Focus, here!"

His smug face was all I needed to know that this tidbit would be well stored away to use for his convenience. "If the lady insists~"

My eye twitched but I continued, nonetheless. "So? What's it that's been bothering you the whole morning?"

He paused, as if needing to think of how to reword it. He tilted his head and giggled. "Hihi~ well now, I was simply thinking of a way to ask you if you'd like to go out."

I blanked. _It took him two hours to figure that out?_

He continued, regardless of no response. "I simply wanted to make sure you were in the mood for it."

What the hell was that supposed to mean? "You make no sense."

He grinned, but was stopped when I held up a finger.

"I don't know why it would take you that long to ask if you could go out. It's your house, so you call the shots."

He chuckled. "I call the shots, eh~?"

When his face neared, I blanched and pushed against the stick to stop him. "Not in that way! Dammit, you know what I mean!"

His face stopped mere inches from mine before suddenly releasing and bursting into laughter.

I sighed, frustrated. I face palmed. So that's why he was acting all weird. He just wanted me to let my guard down. Stupid asshole.

I watched as he rolled on the floor, all giggles and tears with my arms crossed. "Are you done yet?"

More giggles.

I sighed. "Forget it." I stalked over to the door, yanking it open when I felt a clawed hand gently enclose my free arm, stopping me to look back.

He was already on his feet, a sleeved hand wiping his face to likely clean off the drool.

I rolled my eyes. "What do you want now?"

"Hihihi~ now now, m'dear." He released my arm but instead held out the same hand.

I stared at it, then looked back up at him. "What?"

He snickered but pulled me from the door and brought my arm around to tuck into his elbow. Then, he gave me an impish smile, making me further confused.

 _What the hell was he doing?_ Look, I understood that he was trying to imply that I needed an escort, but why he needed to be so extravagant really made no sense.

When he realized that I was still giving him the same blank stare, he snickered before leading me out of the shop and into the sidewalk.

My brain was still processing whatever the hell just happened inside the shop when I realized we were outside. I looked up, only to find the sky cloudy.

"Is England usually this bland?"

"On a daily basis, yes. Why do you ask, m'dear?"

I shook my head. "Just wondering." I looked from the corner of my eye to see him looking straight ahead, the typical smile pasted on his face. I was wondering why he was still smiling until I noticed people had given us a wide berth, most of which were staring at me.

I looked down, already feeling suffocated with the attention. Normally, I would've glared, but considering my boss was right next to me, I couldn't really act "normal" without tainting his image. Well, whatever else that hadn't been touched by his own doing and eccentric nature.

"Hihi, why do you hide, dear?"

I ducked my head, making my face more obscure with my hair as much as possible. "Don't like being stared at," I murmured.

He hummed before quickening our gait and entering a pub. I didn't have to look up to smell the booze and cigars permeating the atmosphere. What I hadn't expected was to find everyone's attention on us. Only thanks to Undertaker's eccentric nature, no one dared approach us. Still, the curiosity burned in their stares, especially at me being attached to his arm.

He led us to a table where I was released and sat on a chair. "Be a dear and wait right there while I get us our food, won't you?" Without leaving me any room for response, he was gone with the flutter of his cloak.

 _Oh great._ I gauged the reception of the room. So far, most people were curious, at least those present in the mind. Some stares I could feel burning into my back, but so long as I minded my own business, there shouldn't be any problem…

"Well well, what's a pretty little thing like you doin' here?"

… Too late. Stifling a sigh, I tilted my head up to acknowledge the unwelcome presence bothering me. Much like the majority of the guests in the pub, we have here a middle-aged drunkard, third-class nobody. A nobody currently disturbing me, mind.

I suppressed the urge to move away, especially since he reeked of booze. It'd only make me look more vulnerable, and I didn't want to cause a scene already. I simply decided to keep my glare on him but not bother answering. It's not worth my time to talk to idiots.

"Cat go' yer tongue, eh? Heh, we'll see about tha'." He moved closer to grab my arm and probably drag me off somewhere he could have me to himself when a clawed hand gripped his forehand, tightening its hold considerably. He winced, and when he saw the Undertaker, he tried putting up a brave front. "Eh, wha's the deal, guvnah?" He tried wrenching his arm away, but Undertaker didn't relent one bit.

His grin widened until we could see the white of the drunkard's eyes as he loomed over him. "How about you bugger off and leave the lady alone. It's rather ungentlemanly to handle her so roughly~" He smiled rather cruelly, forcing him back with a giggle as the drunkard scampered out of the bar.

Having stayed in my seat the whole time, I could only ponder over English men and their weird selection of words. When he turned back to look at me, I rose an eyebrow at him to ask if he was done. He only giggled and sat beside me where I noticed that before us lay two plates of fish and chips along with a cup of water each.

Noticing my lack of reaction, he added, "I thought it'd do us some good to start the day with some good ole fish and chips. I'd reckon you haven't tasted it before, have you, m'dear~"

Looking at the meal, I shook my head. "I've heard of it."

He quirked a smile at that before stuffing his face with fish. Observing his manners, I couldn't help but think of those food competitions where people compete to finish first. Undertaker would definitely be a world winner in that case.

I blinked down at my food before eating my fill, barely eating just half of it until I noticed he was stealing bits and pieces of my fish and just figured I would relinquish the rest to him. He was surprised at how easily I gave up my food, but noticing the lack of complaint decided not to question it.

The food itself wasn't lacking, it was fried well, and the chips - which were actually fries - were pretty okay.

When he noticed my sour glare, he snickered and asked, "What seems to be the issue, dear?"

I prodded the so called "chip" and answered, "It's this ridiculous notion of the same things having different names. This 'chip' for example would be called fries in America, but ever since that stupid Revolution that won my country its independence, we're still keeping up with this charade. Even the damn streets operate the opposite; Americans drive on the right, English on the left. And what is it with the English accent that makes them more posh? If anything, they look like assholes!"

I glared as laughter bubbled from his lips, making my sour mood even worse. "What!"

He wheezed out in his slumped over position, "Hihi… I'm sorry, dear, but… just how riled up you are… with such little things!… I'd have never… imagined… haha~"

I facepalmed. Oh right, he didn't give a shit, did he? Well, at least he had a cockney accent, so that gave him a pass.

I waited for him to catch his breath, propping my arm on the table and resting my chin on my hand as I gave him the stink-eye. Once he'd recovered, I stared at my plate, pushing the crumbs around with my utensil. He straightened in his seat, assuming the same position I did.

The commotion had caught some people's eyes, but thanks to the Undertaker's unintentional intimidating presence due to his eccentricities, no one dared confront him for his behavior. And a good thing they didn't either, because I was pretty sure I wouldn't have the patience to deal with them.

I stabbed said "chip" with my fork and shoved it in my mouth, ignoring the smirk on my boss's face as I tried finishing the rest of my meal.

"What intrigues me most is why you seem to react the opposite a demon usually would~ Just now, the man who had attempted to drag you off, why didn't you respond or even seduce him, I wonder?" His nail tapped his lip as he observed me.

Still fuming about the situation, besides being laughed at, I curtly replied, "You're forgetting I'm only half."

He tilted his head. "So it's the human side of you that I've been seeing, then."

I sighed. "I don't know. I myself don't know how it works. All I know is that just because I change forms doesn't change who I am. Sure, I may seem different due to personality, but I'd like to think that it doesn't change _who_ I am. And if it does, then I suppose I have a problem."

He stayed silent, giving me time to collect my thoughts.

"I don't know if maybe along the way, our 'personalities' might end up merging. I wouldn't know if that's a good thing or not. I can't even remember how I came to be half-demon, all I know is that I _am_ one."

He frowned. "How wouldn't you know?"

I shrugged. "I don't remember a lot from my childhood. Maybe just bits and pieces, but just enough to know the people important to me…" I trailed off as I thought about the dream I had earlier, so vivid as if it were a memory. "Or maybe not. Who knows?" I added nonchalantly.

He steepled his hands, regarding me curiously. "So, is it similar to possession?"

I tilted my head. "Not exactly. More like co-habitation. So long as I sustain it, then I can use its powers."

"Could it leave at any time? Does it sustain itself by eating your soul? Can you talk to it?"

I gave him a bland look. For a reaper, he was sure interested, but knowing his obsession for research and knowledge, I suppose I couldn't blame him. "Well, first of all, I'm sure it could, but since we're accustomed to each other, it may come with major repercussions. Second, like I said, I replenish my demon through the souls I take using my weapon. And lastly, I can contact it, but usually only during emergencies. We do have a strong connection, but usually we only talk when I need to borrow more power or I need to settle a dispute with it." Seeing his confused frown, I added, "For example, if I'm about to do something that it disagrees with, it'd give me a signal of sorts. It's kind of like having a voice in my head."

He smirked. "Voices, eh?"

I nodded.

"Well, now. How interesting, but what if I wanted to talk to it?~"

"Hmm, well, the demon would have to come out, but as of right now, it's not really in the mood, so, I can't really do much about it."

He giggled. "How interesting, this symbiotic relationship of yours~" He used my fork to steal the last "chip" on my plate, watching the flicker of emotions from annoyed to disgust show on my face.

"You know that's my fork, right?"

"Mm-hmm~"

"With my saliva on it?"

"Yes?~"

I rolled my eyes. "That's disgusting."

"Hihi~ A little bit of bacteria won't hurt anyone~"

I curled my lip at his response but bit back a retort. No point arguing with the coot.

"But you still haven't answered my second question. Even if it did feed on the souls you kill, it wouldn't stop it from feeding on your soul, now would it? Therefore lending to your fear of 'Rachel' ceasing to exist and 'Ruth' being left over~"

My eyebrows knit, relaying the info in my head. "Perhaps, but so far, the arrangement has proven satisfactory for us both. If it ever becomes a problem, then I'll find a way to deal with it." My eyes dropped to the table. As much as I could fake bravado all I want, I still wasn't completely sure what I'd do if I ever got to that point.

"What if I helped you get rid of it?"

I looked up to see one solitary double-irised eye staring at me. My breath caught in my throat. Chancing a quick glance around us, I confirmed that no one was paying attention, at least not obviously, and turned back to see that he was still staring me down. _Was he actually serious?_

I felt a tug on my mind. _Ooh, my demon did not like that. Not one bit._

"I can help free you from it, you know? You wouldn't need to worry about your life shortening."

I watched him warily. "Although I appreciate the concern, I'd rather take care of it myself. Besides, this symbiotic relationship of ours actually is meant to last indefinitely. I may end up living as long as a demon can so long as the demon inhabits my body."

He chuckled smoothly, his scarred eye narrowing a bit. With a deep, soothing tone, he replied, "The offer still stands, m'dear."

Then, as if nothing happened, the hair was swept back in place and his usual mad grin spread like wildfire. "Now that that's been dealt with, off to the bakery with you!~ From my experience, they sell the best pastries~ A shy family business but rapidly growing if they can meet consumer demands!"

I deadpanned as he grabbed my hand and pulled me out of my seat. "You mean yours?"

He looked back and grinned, nodding enthusiastically. "Why, not just me, love~ After all, you're joining me, as well!" With a merry giggle, we made our way out of the bar and to our next stop. The bakery.


	17. Chapter 16

A/N: Let me start off by saying a huge apology for bringing your hopes up with bi-monthly updates for the summer. I know that I do have July and August left, but I took a reviewer's advice a bit too much. Plus 5-week Gen Chem course also screwed up the schedule considering the ridiculous amount of homework and stress. But, still have an A average, so I guess I'm good.

Anyhow, I'd like to thank everyone so far who've stayed with me. I really enjoyed writing this chapter (5.8k words which is a first), and if it weren't for you guys, I probably wouldn't have made it this far. So, without further ado, on to the reviews:

KyloRen'sgirl213: I definitely took your advice to heart, and here it is. I appreciate you waiting though, and I hope you enjoy today's chapter as well.

skaterrockgirl: I'm really glad you think so. I want this story to also be one I'd enjoy if I read it, so I hope the quality has been maintained so far. Yes, Undertaker making some advances is somewhat in the air considering he's quite an unpredictable character and quite spontaneous, much like in this chapter. But, I also share the same sentiments in regards to Sebastian entering the picture. He'll probably (most definitely) step up his game once he sees some competition... if he's interested to, lol. Sebastian will arrive the same time this story enters canon, unless if I think up something, but most definitely the former, and this chapter will be somewhat a mix of timeskips plus more chapter. I don't want to bore you guys with too much filler, but at the same time, I need Rachel's and Undertaker's relationship to advance before adding turbulence with the addition of Sebastian. So I hope I won't bore you before then.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Mild cursing, in case you're uncomfortable with that.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroshitsuji nor will I ever. Everything read not included in the manga are my ideas and characters alone unless mentioned otherwise.

Chapter 16 Rachel's POV (1st)  
If you asked me, I'd rather have chosen a more discreet place than a bar to discuss my "situation", but I suppose the discussion was inherently spontaneous itself, so I can't really place the blame on anyone but myself. As of now, Undertaker had stopped tugging on my hand insistently like a child, but he hadn't let it go either, and with how focused he was on reaching that bakery, he didn't seem keen on letting go anytime soon.

"So, after the bakery, what next?"

He chanced a quirked grin, looking back but never slowing down. "Why, I believe we ought to stock up on some groceries and probably some feminine products for you~ Else, I'd be having a mini version of me walking around, hihi!"

I deadpanned. "It's not that big a deal. Just shampoo, soap, and conditioner is good enough for me."

He tutted. "Now, now, what would Madame Red thinks of me if you visited her smelling like an old man? Not so greatly, I would think~"

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, yes, whatever you say." Anything to make him happy. How nostalgic this felt. Perhaps this is what it's like to have a mother hen besides Red. But a male version.

I crinkled my nose. You know what? I take that back. I only need one, I don't need to be smothered.

I felt a nail poked my cheek and my eyebrow ticked. _"What_?" I sighed. That came out too harsh.

From the corner of my eye, I could see a sharp grin as he tilted his head down at me. "Your mind has the tendency to wander quite a bit~"

I lifted an eyebrow, disgruntled. "Yeah, that tends to happen when I'm bored or annoyed," I drawled dryly. I shook my head. I just wanted to go back to the shop already. I didn't see the point of having to buy feminine products, but I knew he'd make a ruckus about it so, I suppose it's best we get it out of the way.

He said no more considering we'd arrived at the bakery, and I didn't wait for him to open the door. He probably sensed from my mood that any form of chivalry he attempted would only piss me off even more. I wasn't sure myself on how true that statement was, but I didn't get more time to analyze that thought when we approached the counter where some teenage boy around my age was standing to take our orders.

"Good morning! Welcome to the Muggin's Bakery. What can we get for you?"

I sighed. Out loud. Such overly enthusiastic greetings already made me want to disappear.

He looked down at me, probably noticing me for the first time since he'd been addressing the Undertaker, and immediately I could see a blush blooming from his neck to the roots of his hair. The guy was, of course, white, blonde as well, kind of cute if that was your schtick. "U-um, we have samples for our newest pastries… if you'd like to try some," he added meekly. He was too busy glancing at me with baby blue eyes, but lacked any sort of spine to maintain eye contact for longer than a second which ended up becoming awkward and eventually annoying.

Deciding that I didn't have time nor the patience to deal with hormonal teenagers, I blandly stated," Just a croissant. Your turn." I jerked my head to the Undertaker without looking at him and stood to the side, impatiently waiting. That damned bastard was having too much fun watching the scenario pan out, so much so that he had to jam a sleeve in front of his mouth to muffle any giggles that came out.

"Hihi~ We'll be having take-out for a dozen bagels, as well as some muffins and your finest pastries!" he smiled, leering at the display of whatever variety they had.

"W-would you like spread on them, sir?"

"Oh yes, if you would be so kind~"

"And f-for the dozen bagels, um, do you mind specifying which kinds?"

"Not at all, hihi~ What would you like, m'dear?" He glanced at me with a wide smirk.

My eye twitched. "I don't care. Whatever suits your fancy. I just want to leave."

He snickered again. "So sorry about my assistant. She's quite the grouch if she stays out too long~ Now then, about those bagels…"

I sighed again, face-palming this time. We just had fish and chips and now he wants bagels and pastries? I pinched the bridge of my nose. _Well, at least we'll have a variety._ While Undertaker prattled on to the bus-boy who kept sneaking glances at me, I stared off into space until I felt an arm sling around my shoulders. Glaring at the culprit who was obviously my boss, I tried to unsuccessfully shrug off his arm. "What now?"

He held up a bag of bagels and whatnot in the air with a proud grin. "All done~"

I narrowed my eyes. "Congrats, what do you want? A medal?"

"Hihihi! Now now, just one more stop~ We simply need to buy you some feminine products before your meeting with Madame Red."

I only raised an eyebrow before pushing his arm off. "Come on, let's get this over with."

"As you wish, Elly~"

I groaned. This guy…

* * *

"For the umpteenth time, _I'm fine_."

"If you say so, ma'am. Don't forget to check out our newest brand of products for perfume and body wash over here. It's become quite popular~!" The sales lady beamed her blinding smile my direction before bothering the next unfortunate customer.

I sighed. The next time someone tries to bother me, I would possibly end up banging my head against the wall. Besides having to be outside, being endlessly bothered by a salesperson was also quite high on my shit-list.

After meandering over a couple of rows with scents that either made me cringe or give me a headache, I finally located the lavender scented products. _Oh thank God, they exist in this time period._ For now, I'd rely heavily on natural scents I was comfortable with. Zero was my next best bet in branching out, no matter how odd that would be.

I picked up some soap and shampoo before studying the various conditioners. I had to be extra careful with the hair products considering the fact that the wrong kinds made my scalp really itchy and uncomfortable. Apparently, it's sensitive, according to Zero. I picked out a brand, inspecting it critically when I felt a chin and sleeved hands rest on my shoulders. Some silver hairs entered my peripheral version while others tickled the sides of my face.

At this point, I didn't bother to turn to see who it was.

"What do you want?" I turned the bottle to the back to see the ingredients before a clawed hand took the conditioner and returned it to its spot.

"There's no need for those~ I have some oils I'd like to try on your hair, if you wouldn't mind. Hihi~" I looked at him from the corner of my eyes to see him grinning cutely at him. He was trying to convince me.

My eyes narrowed. "My scalp is sensitive, so there better not be any side effects to them."

His grin widened. "But of course, dear~"

I sighed, looking back at the soap and shampoo.

"Found what you need~? If you're done, we'll be on our way, now."

"Sure. By the way, will this be coming out of my paycheck?" I followed him to the register where the same saleslady who'd bothered me endlessly for lack of customers stood, smiling widely. By default, a scowl had found its way onto my face.

"Hihi~ To be quite honest, dear, I'd forgotten all about that. We've yet to set a wage for your services~" He held up a sleeve to his face to appear bashful when it was anything but.

I blanked. It's already been a week. Did this guy not plan for anything?

Taking my silence as an answer, he thanked the saleslady with an eerie giggle, making her smile strained but exited nonetheless. I followed behind silently, holding one of the many bags that contained some form of dessert or sweets that I knew he was dying to eat.

"Dearie? You're not mad, are you~"

My brow ticked. "Why would I be? It's partly my fault for not clarifying this with you, anyway."

 _Damn, I was already getting comfortable for that to have escaped my notice. That, or he's good at distracting me. Speaking of which, then my services for the Watchdog should've also been determined. Ah, fuck._

I sighed again.

He snickered but said nothing more.

On our way back to the mortuary, the same stares and silent judgement remained, certain people spreading rumors this way and that and whatnot. It was quite interesting how society never changed, no matter how advanced or primitive it was. It's simply funny how in my time, the existence of phones made it so much easier to taint someone's image. I suppose people never change.

I hadn't noticed that we'd made it to Undertaker's place nor the fact that we were at the kitchen section of his home until I blinked to find him grinning unsettlingly at me.

"What?"

"You were thinking again~ I wonder what goes on inside that head of yours to be so preoccupied~" He opened a bag to find scones and grabbed a couple before scarfing them down immediately.

I sweat dropped before taking a seat. I stared at the table before feeling a presence at my right also slump into a seat. I turned to find him grinning widely before stuffing in more dessert. I shook my head exasperated. "Well, I was simply comparing Victorian society to mine. Despite all the reforms and advances my time has, the people never change. Not since I was a kid, and not now."

"Hmm~ Is that so? Heh, in my humble opinion, people are always changing. They never stay the same, never stay in one place too long~ Always rushing through life but never getting to enjoy it~"

"Sure, but these people don't have the luxury of having a lifespan as long as yours."

He smirked. "Perhaps, yet, I wonder~ If people lived like they only had one day to live, would it make a difference? What do you think?"

I blinked before looking straight ahead. "What difference would it make? Some people end up dying unexpectedly, never changing. Unless if there were some diagnosis of some sort, then maybe, there'd be some effort to 'enjoy life', but then after that, then what? It'll just be back to the same old. If anything, the quality of life is dependent on you and what you find to enjoyment. It's what you make of it."

For a time, Undertaker's chewing filled the silence as we sat together for an indiscriminate amount of time. Eventually, I continued.

"But, the same could be said for the both of us. For you, it'll just be the end of a long existence. In my case, it'll be retribution for my actions, regardless if it be by someone's hand or purely by accident."

"Heh, all people die one way or another, ne?~"

I looked him straight in the eye. "That _is_ how it should be."

He only smiled. "We'll see."

* * *

 _August 24, 1885 - Monday_  
I stared at the date on the front of my phone. Thanks to the Undertaker, I'd finally been able to figure out the date and set my phone to it. It looked wrong, felt wrong, but one had to adapt. Survival demands it.

"Dearie~ I'm bored~"

"Ok." I kept looking at my phone despite feeling Undertaker's disapproving pout my way. I was trying to calculate the countdown to the Phantomhive manor attack, and thanks to my boss, using today's date, I would be able to find out the number of days.

As cold-hearted as it sounded, interfering would probably mean worse consequences in the future. I knit my brows. _But, at the same time, it would prevent Undertaker from beginning his Bizarre Doll project._ I frowned.

Would it be crucial to the plot, however? As of now, the manga heavily depended on Undertaker reviving Ciel to provide the plot twist. Would it still prevent the overall project from happening?

I stared darkly at my phone.

No, probably not. Ciel was probably only part of it. He'll definitely still try to revive the dead. Despite not explicitly saying it in the manga, he's not only just interested in what lurks in the "extra credits". He wants more than just that…

 _Poke._

Twitch.

 _Poke poke._

I smacked his hand. "Do you mind?!"

He stuck his lower lip out. "I've been talking to you for several minutes and you weren't even paying attention~"

"Yeah, probably because there was nothing of interest to listen to!" I grumbled, looking at the calendars on my phone and trying to compute the number of days. I knew there was something fancy trick on how to know which months had 31 days or not using the knuckles on your hand, but considering no one ever taught me - and the fact that I'd forget if they tried to teach me now - I didn't see the point in bothering to know how.

"Hahh, wolframalpha it is…"

"Hmm? What's that, deary?~" A sharp chin dug into my shoulder, relentlessly persisting despite my attempts to swat his face away. I'd given up after several tries.

 _Crap! I can't do it in front of him. I'll have to wait until I have some free time away from him._

He was already peering at the screen of my phone on which safari had been opened, and no thanks to my fast typing, already had the math website opened. _Too late. Well, then._

I sat there at my desk, staring blankly at my phone and wondering what kind of excuse I could make up when I suddenly remembered that he had pretty shitty eye-sight.

 _How about a distraction?_

"Have you ever wondered what is the meaning of life?"

Undertaker quirked his head, smirking at the abrupt change of discussion but played along. "Not quite. Rather the opposite."

I shook my head. Of course he would, he was a _mortician_. "Well, in that case, the answer to the meaning of life can be found on this very special website. This website has all the answers to any math equation, _if_ inputted correctly." During my monologuing, I'd typed in "meaning of life" and waited as it loaded before the answer popped up. 42.

Undertaker had to lean in close until his nose practically bumped the screen to read it. "Forty-two?"

"Yup. Forty-two."

He hummed. "Now that I know the answer, I don't feel as excited anymore~…" He pouted, quite deterred at how simple the answer was.

I snorted. "How do you think I feel?" I erased the text before feeling his chin settle on my shoulder. It dug in with every word he spoke.

"How about the meaning of death?~"

My eyebrow rose. "You want to know the mathematical answer to death?"

He grinned, craning his head a bit to beam his smile pearly white teeth at me. "Why not~"

I shrugged. "You asked."

I typed in "meaning of death", and lo and behold… Just a bunch of definitions. I snorted. "Is this what you wanted?"

He smirked. "Well, perhaps it's for the best~ If we knew the answer to everything, that would take the fun away from living, don't you think, love?"

"Hah, you're one to talk. If you had it your way, you'd make it so that almost everything happened the way you want it to. _Almost._ "

"Hi hi hi~ And what makes you say that?" His ear piercing cackling made me wince.

"I have the feeling that if everything went the way you wanted it to, you'd find some way to disrupt your own system just for the sake of not getting bored." I nonchalantly replied, noting the wide smirk he sported on his scarred face from the corner of my eye. I had exited from out of the safari app before contemplating on getting onto Youtube or my games.

"Ara~ My assistant knows me well, ne~" I could feel arms begin to weave their way around my midsection before I slapped them away.

"Oi! Hands off! How many times do I have to say this?" My eye twitched, aggravated. Why was this guy so freaking handsy all the time?

"Can't I hug my little helper~"

"No."

"Not even a little bit~"

"No."

His frown was all the invitation I needed to ignore him. Now, back to my previous thoughts.

If I managed to prevent the manor attack, what repercussions would lie in wait for my actions? Would it disturb the actual progression of _Kuroshitsuji_ itself. Would Sebastian even enter the picture?

My fingers held my chin as I stared off into space. I didn't notice the Undertaker stare at me patiently before coming up with an idea and getting up and going to the kitchen. He had something up his sleeve that I was unaware of until he came back. With my croissant. On a plate. Plus his box of desserts.

But meanwhile, I hunched over a bit, trying to settle on a decision. Say I decided to step in, would _she_ make an appearance? I frowned heavily. That would be disastrous. Beyond disastrous. It'd be suicide. _She_ was just as strong as Undertaker, if not stronger, and if she'd gotten wind of my misdemeanor, it'd mean utter hell if I returned. _But how would she get here?_ The thought itself was comforting, because if she can't reach me here, then I basically had free reign. But if she does make it here, how would I handle the situation. It's worse enough if I disobeyed her orders, but to act on my own free will? I would simply be driving in the nail to my coffin.

I leaned back, sighing. This was giving me a headache, and yet, so many unanswered questions remained. What would Zero think? Would he stop me? Undertaker would most certainly hate me if he knew. I froze.

Fuck. _The_ Undertaker.

How could I have messed up so terribly? I buried my face in my hands, internally sweating bullets. Originally, I thought it would've been easier to keep an eye on the Phantomhives if I stayed with him, but now, I'd only handed my caretaker the noose, the noose to which he could string up at any time.

Undertaker was, no, _is_ still powerful, no doubt, but if he ever found out that I knew about the Phantomhive's demise… I shuddered. _Damn. Change in plans._

But, if I suddenly up and left, he would immediately know that something was wrong. He would definitely try and hunt me down. And when he does, because no doubt he will, it won't be very pleasant for me.

I facepalmed. _Idiot._

I turned to look at the Undertaker to find him smiling widely at me. With my croissant on the desk. Plus his box of desserts.

I blankly stared at him, trying to process what the hell was happening. "Uh, what's the meaning of this?"

He tilted his head innocently. "Hmm? Whatever do you mean, my dear~"

I gestured to the food. "That. Why is this here?"

His grin widened a bit. "Ah, this? Well, I was rather hungering for a snack. And since my lovely assistant was ignoring me, I decided that I should prepare us a late night snack until my lovely assistant decided to grace me with her attention again~"

I sweat dropped. _No. No no. There was definitely more to it than just that._ My eyebrows furrowed, trying to figure out his game. What was he thinking?

"Okay, can I have my croissant, then?" I held out my hand for the plate.

He grinned before picking it up and plopping it in his mouth. Whole. Then, the motherfucker grinned. With _my_ croissant. In _his_ mouth.

My fingers flexed. I contemplated punching him for a few moments before deciding to ignore him. Me reacting would only give him what _he_ wanted. In order to beat his game, it's better I don't play it at all.

I instead took out my phone and opened the Youtube app. I had missed out on some gameplays that I wanted to watch, and when else would be the best time to watch it than now where I could successfully ignore my boss.

"Oh dearest~ Didn't you want your croissant?"

The nerve of that asshole to ask me that question _after_ gulping down my croissant.

"You're right. Wasn't that supposed to be _my_ croissant?"

 _Wow, great job, Rachel. Way to avoid playing his game by talking back._

"Ah, you mean _your_ croissant that was payed with _my_ money yesterday?~ Yes, that croissant~ hihihi~" He was enjoying this.

"Maybe so, but you could've just taken it out of my paycheck, so there's that, too." Right back at you, ass.

"Ah yes, the paycheck that was never specified by my lovely assistant herself~ I wonder, how much would be owed to her now~"

I sighed. This was going nowhere. With a monotonous tone, I replied, "Alright, fine. You win. What do you want?"

He frowned suddenly, not expecting me to give in that easily compared to his delusional prospect of winning this verbal spat. "Dearie! You're not supposed to give up that quickly~ You were supposed to struggle some more until I won!"

I propped my elbow onto the table and rested my chin on my hand, looking at him like he was lower than dirt. "Well, I just did. What are _you_ going to do about it?"

We froze.

Damn. _Wrong fucking question. Well done, dumbass. Now, you're in for it._ I gulped nervously but maintained eye contact, watching as he processed my words before a sly grin slid onto his face. A bang parted to reveal an acid green solitary double-irised eye.

"Indeed, what should I do~"

A chill ran down my spine, and there was only one word in my head.

 _RUN!_

I twitched, sensing the danger as power shifted to him effortlessly as he stared at me. A smirk flitted onto his lips as he watched my internal struggle to not give in to my instincts. The moment I ran would be the official admittance of weakness, and him being the predator as of now would not bode well for me.

He assumed the same position I did, amused that I caught on quickly to the sudden shift of authority in the setting if the oozing of arrogance and danger from his aura permeating the air didn't. He removed his hat and combed his hair back, making his unusual eyes visible which only added to the discomfort of the situation. He took his time enjoying the sight of me fidgeting as my nerves buzzed with adrenaline under my skin. I was itching for _something_ to happen. _Anything._ The wait was only the preface to my demise. Better to just get it done and over with.

"Here's how we'll proceed. Either you give me a hug and I let this go, or~ I make you spill whatever it is that's preoccupied you enough on your mind to dismiss my presence…"

I sweat dropped, blanking for a moment. _Wait, so he wanted me to give him a hug?! With him looking at me like that?!_ Right now, the look on his face seemed like he wanted to eat me alive. He wanted me to hug him with the way he looked like right now?!

As I fretted, Undertaker smirked, noting in the way that different parts of my face seemed to twitch as I overthinked his rather simplistic request. The grin crept onto his lips as he watched my brow twitch, then my nose, then the corner of my lip, feeling mighty proud for having kept me as his assistant. _Oh, the fun he would have with this one_. Now, he was sure that I wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon. He would make sure of it.

After taking several moments to think it through, I swallowed nervously and looked back at the two chartreuse phosphorescent eyes that were trained on me. They hadn't left my face at all, and the smirk on his face pretty much gave away how much he enjoyed my reactions. This definitely didn't feel like a joke now. Not at all.

"So, you want me to hug you, or is it the other way around?" I asked tentatively, finding it better to be cautious than unintentionally set him off. Already, my fingers were trembling, and I clenched them into fists to gather my wits. I couldn't allow him to see how much he'd gotten to me, and this was over a damn hug. How infuriating was that?

"Hihi, what do you think, my dear?" He still had his face held up by his hand as he continued with his ministrations to unsettle me.

I swallowed again before getting up and approaching him cautiously, eyeing him warily as his grin widened with every step I took. I watched him as he also stood up and spread his arms open for a hug. His face was still exposed as he looked down at me, and my God, never had I wanted to run so badly in my life.

Before I could lose my nerve, I threw my arms around his midsection, almost colliding into him before being pulled into a hug as he held me closer, sleeved arms encasing me.

Let me just say, never had I ever thought a hug would be as threatening as he made it seem to be. Especially with the face he donned when he offered it to me. I also became aware that I was shaking from nervousness as I gripped the back of his clothes. _Damn, this is how I react, and over a hug?_

Well, of course, normally, hugging didn't come with being threatened to spill your thoughts otherwise.

Another thing I became aware of was just how true other people's opinion of Undertaker's face was. They'd said his face was frightening. And they were right. Before, only seeing it in the colored manga panels, I found him to be beautiful, as Yana had admitted in a tweet. But that was because I wasn't the recipient of any danger. Now, I'm aware of just how ignorant my opinion was.

 _Am I rambling again?_ Yup. _Did I care?_ Nope.

While my thoughts were running a hundred miles per hour, Undertaker himself had been awfully quiet.

He knew that I was nervous, but certainly not to this degree. He could feel me shaking against him as he pulled me closer with his strong arms that were supposed to be providing shelter. Rather, was he caging me in? He'd thought I was cold, but when the shaking persisted, the thought was immediately discarded. I was definitely terrified of him, and he didn't want that. He only wanted a way to make me get closer to him, but not if it ended with me being deathly afraid of his advances.

He ran his hand down my back, trying to comfort me. "You're stiff as a board, deary~"

I jerked. I didn't answer. Was I supposed to answer? I waited tersely.

He sighed before continuing to rub my back but with his sleeve this time as he noted me pressing closer to him whenever his nail lightly touched my back, as if trying to get away. "Try to relax, deary~ It'll be less uncomfortable if you do~"

I wanted to. Tried to. But no, I was still paranoid that he would do something else. After a while, I began to calm down, tense breathing slowing as I unconsciously leaned on him. He'd done nothing except rub my back, and since nothing else transpired since then, I'd decided that he was being honest.

Honestly, if he was so hung up over a hug, why'd he have to do that?

"Do I scare you, dear?"

Seeing as that was an obvious question, I also didn't say anything.

"If so, then I apologize. I didn't mean to frighten you. I was only trying to get you to open up…"

I twitched. _Open up?_ I looked up from where my head was buried in his chest and eyed his face skeptically. I couldn't smell any hint of lying, nor did I sense any deception. I could see one visible eye, concerned and a bit guilty, but the soft smile also confirmed that he was being serious.

"So, let me get this straight. You tried to get me to warm up to you by scaring the bajeezus out of me with a hug?"

He smirked wryly. "Seems about right, dearest~" He was also eyeing me carefully, reading my expressions.

I knew that he'd been lenient with me pushing him around a bit and being a tad rude/disrespectful, but I suppose that this was his way of keeping me in line. My face scrunched up. _What the fuck was he smiling about?_

Seeing my sour glare, his smile became sheepish. "I only realized now just how odd my plan was. This was supposed to be a joke~"

I stared back, unamused. _A joke? All that was supposed to be a joke?_

"Does my face seem like a joke to you?"

He looked away, embarrassed. "I may have taken it a bit too far-"

"No shit."

Those eyes were suddenly directed at me, but he had a rueful grin. "But even still, I don't regret it."

"You don't?"

"Hihi, well, I got you to hug me, after all~"

"Tch! Get your hands off me!" Pissed off, I tried to push his arms away. None of that felt like a joke to me. It was too real, too genuine. I understood that he wanted me to get comfortable, but to resort to that method was too much.

"Now now, I do, however, feel bad about eating your croissant~"

What the hell?! "So, you don't regret intimidating, but you feel bad about a fucking croissant? Where are your priorities?!"

He giggled as he tightened his arms just a bit to push me towards him. Now that my hands were stuck between his chest and mine, there was no means of an escape unless if _he_ decided to let go. Fantastic.

I sighed.

"Dearest, will you forgive me~"

I said nothing. I was till too upset to bother with his antics.

"I'll let go if you do~"

"Oh great, even more demands. What more do you want from me?"

I felt a nail tilt my chin up and I stared back with a disgruntled face. He was still smiling softly, but with those eyes now exposed, it felt even more… Like what? I had nothing with which to compare it to. It just felt too much. I would've blushed had I not been too busy trying to figure out what his face meant, especially with our close proximity.

"Love, I'm simply trying to get you too loosen up~ You're far too uptight for your own good~"

I lifted an eyebrow. "Like William T. Spears?"

His smile almost became a smirk when I mentioned the reaper that I hadn't even met yet. "Yes, precisely~"

I rolled my eyes. "Ok, fine, I forgive you. Will you let go, now?"

He pouted. "I still don't like how easily you give in~"

I stared back. "It's a talent. Let go."

"No." He childishly held on, eyes now covered with his bangs. How he even did that, effortlessly switch between personas, remained a mystery to me.

"Oh. My. God. What is your problem! Just let go, already!" I pushed on his chest for emphasis, feeling frustrated.

He giggled. "Liar~ So you haven't given up~" His chin rested on my shoulder.

I huffed against his chest. He was probably waiting for me to calm down before letting go so that there'd be a reduced chance of me not trying to kill him. _Yeah, good luck with that_.

Although I wasn't as mad as before, I still felt annoyed. As I settled my nerves, I realized just how much taller he was than me. Although I knew he loved to wear his three-inch heeled boots, the difference in height was so much more noticeable. Especially since the top of my head could'nt reach his chin. Plus, he smelled good.

I wrinkled my nose. _He smelled good? What the fuck?_ It was true, but odd considering he smelled like formaldehyde, cookies, death… Plus that musk men were known for. What a weird combo.

"You were right~"

"What?"

"Lavender does smell quite nice on you."

What? Oh, he was talking about the shampoo from yesterday.

"Uh, thanks?"

"Hihi~ Your welcome, dearie." Then he released me.

The sudden loss of warmth made me shiver, and I crossed my arms to preserve some warmth. I hadn't even noticed just how comfortable I'd gotten. What was going on with me?

After a few moments of looking at each other, I began to feel awkward. "Okay, so what now?"

He grinned, holding up his arms in that way dogs do when they stand on their hind legs. "Now, we wine and dine like good friends. See?" Like a cliche magician, he pulled out a wine bottle from out of his sleeve and shook it a little bit with a gleeful grin. "All we need are a couple of glasses, so if you'll excuse, I'll fetch us some plates, too~"

I deadpanned as he walked away before shaking my head and taking a seat. No point in analyzing his intentions, now. With a sigh, I reached for the boxes and opened them, analyzing the choices we had. This would probably be our midnight snack before we had to turn in for the night.

Undertaker, on the other hand, slinked away into his kitchen to grab the plates and beakers. He'd known that I was somewhat fragile, but to be so terrified over his poorly though-out joke, he'll admit that much, it concerned him. Now he realized why I was so wary of strangers, why I seemed to glare at them, when really, it was quite the opposite. It wasn't because I hated them. I had the look of a cornered animal dealt the wrong hand, and the aftermath being that I didn't know who to trust. And so, it was better to just push them away instead.

He frowned, leaning against the countertop as he looked at the beaker, an otherworldly glow of acid green reflecting back at him. He smiled ruefully. He liked to poke fun, yes, and he'd like me to open up to him more, but he had to be careful not to break me in the process. Not if he wanted to gain my trust.

* * *

A/N: So yeah, the wolframalpha website does exist, and yes, it solves math problems, but you have to type it in certain way.

But most importantly, I wanted this story to explore the darker side of Undertaker, and Rachel was the best candidate for it since her past is pretty dark. Hopefully, this chapter makes for a great interlude for that. If any of the characters seemed too OOC to you, let me know so I can fix it asap. Thanks.

06/30/19


	18. Chapter 17

A/N: Sorry about the delay, everyone. Had a presentation yesterday, and I seriously over-estimated my skills in writing. Plus my internet's down after midnight, so I had to wait until today to post. My apologies on that.

But, on a lighter note, we're closer to approaching the next case. It might seem more vague since she won't be as directly involved, but you'll see as you read on.

Now, onto the reviews:

Kuroki Kitsune: Definitely, I've thought about the dynamic between Rachel and Sebastian, and I'm pretty sure that the moment I introduce our infamous demon, you'll definitely enjoy the push and pull between Sebby and UT. I don't exactly plan for a romance beginning between the two, but you'll see. Thanks for reading!

bunnyxstar: Thank you, I hope to also make up more ideas that exposes more of that side of him. I don't see as many stories doing that nowadays T-T

8shadesofmadness: Thank you for letting me know. I hope not to let you down. Your advice is always helpful!

skaterrockgirl: Ah yes, UT vs Sebby. That is definitely something I'm looking forward to as well. Just hang with me til then, lol. Thank you for your feedback!

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroshitsuji nor will I ever. Everything read not included in the manga are my ideas and characters alone unless mentioned otherwise.

Chapter 17 Undertaker's POV (3rd)  
He was wrong. Well, maybe only partially wrong. Rachel had a certain kind of disdain for her fellow man, bordering on misanthropic. However, she seemed to also harbor a kind of pity towards them for their inherently pitiful state despite her faux behavior of superiority towards them.

Then he thought of yesterday and a smirk crept onto his lips. As mature as she seemed to act, as well, she was still child-like in her perspective of "adultish things", she had called it. After what had transpired after their very special hug to commemorate a new milestone in their "friendship"- she still seemed to deny it, much to his chagrin - he'd wanted to enjoy some evening wine with her, but she opposed firmly, only accepting half a glass and no more.

And speak of the devil - ha~ - Rachel appeared at the forum of the shop. Scanning the room until her gaze landed on him currently sitting where she usually would and reviewing the past few days' paperwork she'd done. She quirked an eyebrow, then a frown, and then the same impassive stare was donned, like every other day.

Ah, how infuriating. He hated that he'd never witnessed her at her angriest or her happiest. Given time, it would happen, but he needed a catalyst, and he couldn't always be the reason lest she become suspicious and distance herself. Of course, not if he could help it.

But he hated that blank stare of hers. Impassionate, cold. Unliving. A corner of his lips quirked. The living dead, it seemed. He wanted to see her face light up, to see the light in her eyes, not that dull, glassy reflection that peered up at him. He wanted to see what she looked like… like when she played the piano. The only thing about her was that she was private.

Even with that unintended piano performance at the Phantomhive manor, Rachel didn't seem to appreciate audiences much. And even if she did play, she played with her eyes closed which was a rather unheard thing of today. But she'd explained that it helped her emote with the music more, feel it, she'd described. What he would give to crack open those eyelids and see what went on underneath.

As he continued to think, in his peripheral, he caught a sketch just as he was about to flip to the next page. Head tilting, he brought the page closer to inspect it to find a miniature sketch of a skull, the exact replica on his desk, but flowers were growing out of the eye sockets. All this etched in ink. He started to grin before looking through more of the pages and finding random drawings here and there. _She must've been getting bored._ He giggled.

The drawings sometimes ranged from a coffin to a jar containing a liquid and floating eyeball, and even a few drawings of him, but much smaller, miniature versions of him with a gigantic face. _What an interesting technique~_ He giggled some more when he found various poses of him either sleeping on a coffin, munching on a bone, etc.

"What are you giggling about over there?" Rachel's voice came from behind the paper he was holding up to his face, and he put them down to lean his head on a hand and grin at her. She'd gone back to cleaning up the rest of the bugs that she found, going so far as to kill the unfortunate ones, but not as dramatically as the first time.

"Hihi, well, I must've found me a treasure~"

She lifted an eyebrow.

He held up a page holding up a drawing of him sleeping on a coffin and drooling. "Care to explain~"

Her facial expression morphed from impassive to somewhat embarrassed and shy despite cooling her expression to seem annoyed that he caught her. Scratching the back of her head, she admitted sheepishly, "Well, I was getting bored. Either that or pass out." She shrugged.

He smirked. Just as he expected.

"Is that going to be a problem?" She seemed skittish now after what happened the day before, and he didn't really like that.

"No no~ It's quite refreshing, hihi~ After all, who else besides I will see them anyway~" He made sure to sound soothing. Couldn't be scaring her away, now, could he?

Her brow furrowed. "Well, unless if it has to do with an investigation-"

He waved a sleeved hand nonchalantly. "Now now, let's not get hungover trivial matters, shall we~ hihihi!"

She frowned but relented with a shrug, "You're the boss." With that, her bashful countenance dropped, and as if nothing happened, she continued sweeping.

A frown tugged at his lips again, not liking how blasé she seemed. Although he enjoyed her drawings, he wanted to draw more reactions out of her. He simply needed to get creative.

His grin widened. That shouldn't be hard~ After all, he was a force of nature when he got bored. He gnawed on a cookie as he finished looking through the paperwork.

By now, Rachel had started dusting off the shelves again, and how meticulously she cleaned reflected upon the care she took to remove books or jars off the shelves to clean off dust before wiping off the residue on the objects themselves and returning them. Then, she'd move on to another section.

While he missed the unruly atmosphere of his shop, he can't deny that he enjoyed the company far better. And said company consisted of his assistant's adorable reactions and lack of unwanted chatter. She wasn't one to be open nor start a conversation unless he did or if she needed something. She wasn't bothersome either, choosing to keep to herself and Zero, if he ever dropped by. Really, anytime her associate visited was the only time she relaxed.

He rested his head on his hand, elbow on the desk as he stared off into the distance, having been done with paperwork. What could he do to make her relax more? She seemed so much like the German dog, and that was so boring~ The only time he had fun with her was when she snapped. But he also had the feeling that the more she did, the more she'd distance herself.

Hm, what an enigma… Perhaps he should encourage more visits from her associate. Of course, he could then ask for tips, but that would take away his fun. As a curious man by nature, part of the fun was discovering the mystery yourself, and the harder it is, the more satisfaction gained.

As he watched Rachel dust off a jar, an idea suddenly struck him. Of course, it'd be quite tricky to pull off considering her suspicious nature, but if he acted more friendly, perhaps there'd be some progress. Of course, it's not as if he already wasn't, but she had to see him as less as a boss and more of a coworker. He simply had to get through that thick skull of hers, and with her mental fortitude, he'd guess there were more barriers than it appeared.

His silence and gaze must've been quite unnerving to his assistant because she suddenly turned to him to already find his gaze on her. Her brows furrowed, but she asked in wary concern, "Uh, are you okay?"

"Hm~ Why, yes, dear, why do you ask?" He decided to play around a bit. He had a goal to attain.

"Well, for the past half hour, you've been staring at me and saying nothing which leads me to believe that either I'm doing something wrong or you're having a dilemma."

He grinned. "Hihihi, how perceptive of you~ Well, m'dear, seems that you can help me with that problem~"

She raised an eyebrow, expecting him to continue. When he didn't, she prompted, "Which is?"

He smirked. "Prepping a body. It's about time I showed you the more gruesome side of an undertaker's job~ But, of course, we'll start off easy, for your sake dear~"

He expected a snarky response from her, but seeing her doubtful expression, he presumed she was more preoccupied with thinking that this was not the problem he was referring to. However, seeing that she had no grounds to prove otherwise, she decided to keep that thought to herself and just reply with an uncertain "Okay."

He snickered. "Especially since you've fulfilled the paperwork aspect of it quite beautifully, I suppose it's time to acquaint you with the steps leading to everyone's greatest moment of life: their funeral."

She snorted. "Wow, glad to know that paperwork was a pre-requisite to being a mortician's assistant."

He smiled. Ah, there it is. "Well now, your work ethic was what I was after, and finding it satisfactory, I suppose I won't need to kick you out~"

"I guess." She didn't seem offended at his joke, which he also expected. She seemed to understand his reasonings, no matter how crappy they were, in her perspective.

She came over to join him as he removed a sheet covering a body. It was a lady this time, and the expensive clothes immediately gave away her high birth, yet the bruised and battered state of her body were due wholly to a carriage incident. Well, of course, the papers also gave it away, so no mystery there, really. What he wanted to know was Rachel's reaction, and the impassive stare was all he got before she spoke her opinion.

"Although, why anyone would care how anyone looks just before they're shoved under a mound of dirt eludes me. All that's left is a shell; no one's there anymore."

He gave her a knowing smirk. "Perhaps, yet, it's all they have left of them, so why not make a great lasting impression~ After all, I put the fun~ in funeral, hihi!"

He cackled when she groaned, rolling her eyes. "Please stop, your terrible puns would be the only reason why none of your guests would want to come back to life and congratulate you on your hard work."

He pouted at her biting response. Inwardly, however, he was glad that he was able to find someone with such spitfire. Women of this era were quite weak, and to find one as strong-willed as his assistant was a rare gem indeed. "How cruel~ If only my guests were alive to witness the brutality my assistant bestows upon me~"

"Yeah, sure, need I remind you that you willingly invited this supposed abuse to work as your assistant?"

He smirked at her. "Would an employer knowingly employ an abusive employee?~"

She finally broke her gaze away from the corpse to glare at him. He knew she understood that the point wasn't made to offend her, but that it was an overall good point that she couldn't refute. His smirk only broadened at her reply. "Alright, fine, whatever. Let's just get on with it."

His giggles only seemed to worsen her mood.

 _August 25, 1885 - Tuesday_

Rachel's POV (1st)  
It was currently noon now, and he'd already shown me how to stitch up corpses, clean them up, and put on their makeup. When I'd inquired about the removals of certain organs for his research, he had paused before giving me a smirk, knowing that I'd gotten that from the manga before telling me that he did those himself before allowing me to work on the body. Well, at least I won't have to worry about finding organs for him.

While the workload was surprising, I suppose it's how he made decent money for a living. Not to mention having to prepare and make the coffins, measurements, as well as finishing touches, it's no wonder he was quite the shut-in. However, he was also a reaper, so I doubted he ever got behind with his work.

As of now, I was trying to finish up covering up the corpse's bruises with the makeup he'd provided. While I may not have been the most experienced with make-up, I knew just enough to make it seem convincing that she /wasn't/ run over by a carriage. How these things still manage to happen confounds me. How in the world do you miss one of the noises things on earth that have a horse's hooves clopping on cobblestone? Well, unless if the driver was irresponsible. That would actually make more sense.

I sighed. My thoughts were beginning to ramble because of how I bored I was simply using make-up to cover up the bruises. We'd yet to get started on the finishing touches such as what kinds of flowers to put in the coffin, the color theme, even the dress.

I looked back at Undertaker to find him completely absorbed with his work. He'd moved on to the next body, his cloaked body swaying slightly to a tune known only to him as he also prepped the corpse for its funeral.

 _Well, good to know someone's enjoying themselves._

I sighed again. I couldn't understand what was so infatuating about his work. Besides the fact that I was his underling, truly, this wasn't the job for me. My mouth quirked. _This_ wasn't a job for an assassin. We never bothered with the dead.

I frowned, looking down at the lady corpse. She was pretty, but she looked like the rest of London's gloomy residents; plain, uninteresting, normal. What a life that must be, I wonder.

I looked up again to find Undertaker having moved on to dressing the body. Really, I had no clue what he found so fascinating about his job. _But, to each their own, I suppose._

I had finished covering up the corpse's bruises and was now working on the makeup to make it presentable. I had forgone the stitches, mainly because of the shit-terrible job of my first attempt. Unfortunately, the facial makeup didn't take long and I was back to having the stitch. Again.

I sighed. "Ok, this shouldn't be hard, Rachel." Undertaker taught two kinds of stitches: interrupted and continuous. Based on his other corpses, however, Undertaker seems to favor interrupted. Less hassle, according to him. _Besides, if you messed up even once, you'd have to do it alllll over again~_

 _Sure. Fair point. I can relate._ I sighed through my nose.

"Dearie~ Sighing isn't gonna get our guest ready for her funeral~" Undertaker was looking at me bemusedly while he continued suturing without looking or breaking pace.

Ass.

"Yeah, I don't need you showing off your skills, thanks." My lip curled as he giggled incessantly, but I began my pitiful attempt.

Taking the clamps, I pinched the curved needle with the thread tied at the holed end and began pushing it through the skin and under the wound before angling upwards to tug the thread through just enough to tie it off before cutting it. First one, done. Now for the next one.

After a while, I noticed after the next few stitches that they weren't evenly spaced. My eyebrow ticked. Some were too spread out or too close to each other. Grumbling, I took out a scissor and started snipping until the first one and began again.

After about an hour, I'd only gotten three wounds stitched up, and I still hadn't reached the back. I sighed again. _God, this was getting annoying._

I heard booted footsteps approach before the _clink_ of a plate being placed on the coffin grabbed my attention. The plate was full of biscuits and he was also holding a beaker of tea for me.

I looked up at him unamused, seeing as he was grinning. "My dear, you don't need to be so concerned with the appearance of the stitches~ After all, they'll be covered up by clothing anyhow, hihi~"

I frowned at him. "Maybe for you, but that's sloppy work ethics in my opinion."

He smiled softly. "Now now, no need to be so hard on yourself~" He grabbed another curved needle working the thread through the hole before tying it off.

As he did so, I had the intense urge to snap at him for trying to baby me, but I kept my mouth shut. I didn't want to say anything I'd regret.

I took a deep breath. I'm overreacting. Why was this even bothering me?

"Now, my dear, pay close attention~ They don't need to be perfect, only just enough to get the job done. They're dead anyhow, so I'm sure they won't mind~" He giggled creepily again as he started to sway once more.

I nodded wordlessly as I observed, but mentally, I was elsewhere. Then a nail poked my forehead. Hard.

I glared at the offending appendage before transferring it to the owner of said appendage before realizing he was pointing his talons to the cup of tea behind me.

"Your drink's getting cold~ Aaaand I've prepared some cookies since my dear assistant's been working so hard!"

I rose an eyebrow at him. "I didn't even finish, though." I took ahold of the beaker, letting it warm my hands.

Wait. I haven't even washed my hands.

Then I looked at the cookies. Dear God, did he touch those without washing his hands either?!

I looked incredulously at him before seeing his blank face, devoid of emotion. It lasted only a second before he was on the floor laughing and bawling. I felt my face heat up, both from embarrassment and annoyance.

"Oi, quit laughing, asshole! It's not funny!" I grit my teeth and clenched my fists, getting ready to kick him if need be.

He only howled in reply before rolling back and forth on the floor, still capsizing in his laughing fit. My nose crinkled in disgust, knowing how dirty the floor was until I remembered he was just stitching moments before. The needle! God help me if that idiot pricked himself.

"Hey, Un! Get off the floor! You're going to hurt yourself!" I tugged on his robes, trying to get him to sit up but to no avail. I was more concerned with trying to find the needle, but the dumbass wouldn't move an inch.

I gave up. "Fine! You know what? Go ahead and prick yourself. You'd be doing me a favor if you got yourself infected!" I spun on my heel, ready to storm off only to find a clawed hand grip my heeled boots, stopping me in my tracks.

I looked behind to find a drooling Undertaker slither upwards until he draped himself over me, and I cringed. Not only did he not wash his hands, he also rolled on the floor and God knows what is on his person and now he's drooling! Wonderful!

I then tried to tug him off me, but his arms sealed the deal by looping around me, chin resting on my shoulder. My eyes were to preoccupied with making sure that his drool never landed on my shoulder as I pushed desperately at his chest. "Un, seriously, this is nasty. Please let go."

"Hehe~… I think I just saw nirvana… hihihi, the look on your face, too~… hahhh…~"

I deadpanned as I bore the brunt of his weight. He really wasn't that heavy, but think of it as an overly clingy sloth that won't let go.

After a few minutes of him giggling and mumbling, I asked, "Are you done yet?" I was still watching a trail of his drool begin its slow yet sure descent onto my shoulder, and just before it could reach my clothes, I decided to just take out the handkerchief and wipe his face. I couldn't stand it anymore. No more.

He didn't reply, only shake his head no which only further buried his face into my shoulder. I sighed. Better to just wait it out.

I decided to patiently sip at the tea, which thankfully contained less sugar than before, before I felt his face lift from my shoulder and his chin dig into it instead.

"Dearest, you didn't really think I wouldn't keep my promise, did you?~" His voice sounded forlorn for whatever reason as I quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Promise?" What was he talking about?

"Why, this!~" He pulled out the hand sanitizer I'd given him last week from his sleeve and I deadpanned.

Ah, so he remembered. Good for him. "So you've been using it, I take it?"

He nodded boisterously, eager to please.

"Ah, well, that's nice."

He pouted. "That's all?~"

I gave him a bland glare. "You aren't a kid anymore, and like hell I'm treating you like one."

His lower lip stuck out before he cried out, "Meanie~!", and wound his arms tighter around me for a one-way hug.

I sighed. Well, this is a brand new trend for me. I'm pretty sure I could just pre-record myself sighing and I wouldn't have to be here the majority of the time to put up with Undertaker's antics. "Un, you already got your hug yesterday. Hands off." I tried shrugging off his arms, but he stubbornly held on.

"No~ Not until you hug me!" Then, to my absolute horror, he nuzzled his cheek against mine, and I lost it.

"Dude!" He'd just been rolling around the floor, and now there was God knows what's on his hair, and who's to know what else could've gotten on his cheek and-

… And I just called him dude, didn't I?

I froze.

Seeing the lack of response after I'd stiffened, Undertaker curiously leaned back to watch my horrified face become a deep red before it turned to the palest shade white. Then, I smacked his hand away before _running_ away to my room.

He blinked. Did he overdo it?

He smiled.

Oops~

I was currently pacing my room, arms crossed tightly as I repeated my embarrassing moment. Ahhh, my God. How was I ever going to face him again. I double face-palmed, right when I heard two knocks on the door.

"Dearie~ You in there?" Undertaker's muffled voice in the doorway only confirmed my suspicions and I inwardly groaned.

 _Can I not have a moment's peace all to myself?_

Before I could even collect myself, Undertaker was already turning the knob, and I paled. _Great. I'm screwed._

As Undertaker opened the door, I could see him gauge the atmosphere, my guarded expression, how tightly crossed my arms were, and the slightly hunched over position like I wanted to disappear. I wish I could disappear. That would be so nice.

I looked at his hands to find him carrying my unfinished beaker of tea and the plate of cookies. Now, I was a bit wary. He did wash his hands, right?

"Heh, you escaped before we could have tea time, dear~" He tilted his head, cautiously testing me for a response.

"Right…" Where was he going with this?

He didn't say anymore, just walk past me to the only desk in the room and place the plate on the desk before taking a seat on the chair. When I didn't react, he gestured for me to take a seat on the bed, and I did so, albeit warily.

"So, what's the meaning of this?"

He smiled patiently. "Well now, I decided we ought to take a break~"

I blanked.

He snickered. "You looked quite frazzled, so I thought it was a bit overwhelming for your first day~"

I shook my head. "That's not really…" We didn't even do anything physically challenging.

"Hm?~"

I shook my head. "Nevermind."

He only smirked before sticking a cookie in his mouth and handing me one.

I took it cautiously, mumbling a thanks before reaching for the tea. "Where's your drink?"

"Ah, I finished mine already, love~"

"I see."

We were silent as we snacked. I noticed Undertaker had the tendency to steal quite a few, but his appetite would never be staunched with a few meager biscuits.

"Does your diet consist of only those cookies you bake?"

He looked to me with a biscuit stuck halfway in his mouth, making him look quite silly.

Well, that's if I had any humor left to care.

He smirked. "Well, now, if my cookies were all I lived on, I wouldn't have lived this long, dear~ hihi, what made you ask?" The cookie broke in half as he munched.

I shrugged. "Just wondering."

His munching eventually stopped as he watched my mind wander. He tilted his head again as he stole another biscuit and stuck it in his mouth, waiting for me to notice him.

After a while, I noticed it was dead silent, and when I looked back, I found Undertaker staring back at me without a smile on his face, completely devoid of emotion. Uh oh.

I blinked. "Uh, yes?"

He didn't respond, but not because he didn't hear my question. He looked like he was thinking of something.

"Un?"

"My dear, are you still bothered by what transpired earlier?" He seemed to be quite interested and troubled at the same time.

My eyebrows creased. "Is this about me calling you 'dude'?"

He snickered. "Well, I don't see the big deal about it, dear~"

I sighed. "Of course, you wouldn't. You wouldn't know formality if it smacked you in the face."

He snickered. "Ouch~"

I rolled my eyes. "My only problem about it is the business side of this relationship. I don't like overlapping my personal life with my work life. I've worked hard to maintain that."

Undertaker smiled slyly. "I assume you're referring to your twilight activities~"

I nodded.

"Well, now, although that is an admirable line to draw, it is simply you and me, dear~ There is no harm in establishing friendships with business partners, at least in my humble opinion, hihihi~" Undertaker was back to that creeper mode, arms held up like a puppy's, slouched posture, and a bit hunched over.

I couldn't really refute his points. Well, scratch that, I could, but knowing Undertaker, he'd simply disregard it and insist. Argh, he's infuriating!

But, I couldn't help think of Vincent and Undertaker's relationship when he mentioned "friends". I don't know how friendly they are with each other, but hopefully, it's nothing too intimate. I didn't want anything to do with that.

"I guess."

His smile widened, and my stomach felt like curling in on itself. I don't like that face he makes. That face that looks like I won't like what he's up to. He started giggling. "Why so nervous, dear?~"

I deadpanned. "Besides the fact that we're the only living people in this shop, I think you can figure it out yourself."

He grinned before leaning forward and moving his bangs to expose his face. He was staring at me with a smirk, and I stared back.

"What are you doing?"

He blinked, smile dropping. "You don't like my face?" He was confused now, ironically.

My eyebrow rose. "Am I supposed to?"

He blinked before extending his sleeved hands in a grabby motion.

I shook my head. "No."

He pouted. "I want my hug~

"Nope."

"Cruelty~ Never did I expect my own assistant to deny me~"

I snorted. "Sure, I'm not seeing any witnesses."

He smirked. "Alright, if you won't come, then I will."

"Wait, what-" Before I could even finished, he'd joined me on the bed and was already hugging my midsection.

This was awkward beyond all reason.

I sighed. Whatever.

"Dearest, have you thought about Madame Red's invitation?~"

 _Oh, a distraction, eh? Thought that would work, didn't you? Asshole._ Ignoring my inner monologue, I just entertained him. "What's there to think about? We're just going to hang out and then I get to leave."

"Hihi~ Not very sociable, are you?" The arms tightened as he snickered before he started swaying us.

"Stop, you're gonna make me dizzy." I gripped his arm to make him stop. "Why are you so interested anyway?"

He looked at me slyly with one eye. "Well, the way I hear it, it might involve a case~"

I blinked. What?

"Deary?"

"What? How? Why?" I craned my neck to look at him and realized just how close he was and leaned back a bit.

"Hihihi! Well now, it has to do with the party rather, not your 'hang out'~ And perhaps not necessarily a case, but an assignment."

"Assignment? By who?"

"Hmm, from what the Earl tells me, it may be from Her Majesty."

My brows furrowed. "Why?"

He grinned sharply. "It's not up to me to care what the queen stirs up. I'm not much of a fan anyhow~"

"So you say…" He giggled at me but I faced forwards again. "So what is it I'm required to do?"

He waited, wanting my full attention and when I did, he made his voice mysterious. "Call it a test of trust~ You will act as a decoy while the Earl comes in for the kill!"

I blanked. "Ok, nothing hard about that. So?"

He smirked patiently at me. "Also, you'll have to learn to fit in with Victorian society within that setting, so that means mingling and dancing."

Oh. I sighed. "Ok, what else?"

"That's all."

"Great. I don't see what's the big deal."

"Perhaps not yet, but it's a matter of whether if you'll obey with no qualms or take your own chances~"

I stared at him. Sure, it wasn't unheard of to hear of insurgents, but that would depend on the situation. "I guess we'll have to wait and see, in that case."

He smiled. "That we shall."

A few more moments of silence.

"Un, get out."

He whined. "I just got comfortable~"

"I need to change."

"Oh fine~"

08/01/19


	19. Chapter 18

A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry about the lateness of the update, and although the date will say last month, it's to keep me on track. However, good news is that today was my first ever attendance at the San Japan convention which was loads of fun. I couldn't stay for too long unfortunately, but still enjoyable nonetheless with my friends.

However, before moving on, there's one discrepancy in the plot that I must address and that centers mainly around the Jack the Ripper arc. I noticed, while going through the documents that Madame Red's son, Gilbert, had died March 1, 1885, which would've given her months to recover due to that carriage accident. However, within this timeline, I would need to do some tweaking since she's still pregnant, and it's August 1885 within this story. Plus, the timeline of the manga was clear that by December, the Phantomhive manor attack would've occurred and then her meeting with Grell. So, in order for the story to have coherent organization, Google supplied that a hysterectomy (not including the child) would take a 6-8 week recovery, so I'll be using that liberally for the flow of the story to make sense.

I'm sure not many of you will care that much, but for ease of mind, I'm still putting it down here to let you know. Sorry about the lengthy AN, though.

Also, just a major thanks to Kuroki Kitsune for the lengthy piece of advice in PM for information regarding Rachel's occupation. It was incredibly helpful and I'll be sure to utilize it as much as possible within the story.

Now, onto the review(s):

skaterrockgirl: Very good analysis, and you're correct. Undertaker's impatience will definitely be a catalyst on the many unlikely events Rachel will experience throughout her stay as his assistant. But for now, that attraction could either mean scientific or romantic kind, so Rachel will have to tread carefully. Thank you for your feedback, and I hope this next chapter meets your expectations, as well as the other readers.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroshitsuji nor will I ever. Everything read not included in the manga are my ideas and characters alone unless mentioned otherwise.

Chapter 18 Rachel's POV (1st)  
 _August 28, 1885 - Friday_  
I was getting antsy. Although I would be on standby for the majority of the case, I was still worrying about whether I would have to save someone or if one part of the plan goes awry, should I step in?

Undertaker had also noticed how impatient I'd gotten, and thinking he'd be able to poke some fun, decided to tease me, but when I exploded (which included biting off his ear and then disappearing for a good half day and returning late at night to cool down) he got the message.

I was sitting at my desk, fidgeting. Although I didn't mean to undermine the Watchdog's capabilities to solve a case, you couldn't deny that you have to expect the unexpected.

I was staring straight ahead, lost in thought with my hands interlocked, pressing against my mouth until a nail poked my head. I barely turned my head just enough to see the silhouette of Undertaker's robes to know he was back.

Because he knew how short I was since yesterday, he already surmised that I was mentally preparing for the upcoming case. Although it had nothing to do with my "hang out" with Madame Red, I wouldn't be surprised if it were related to it.

I sighed. I was getting sloppy. Although _she_ wouldn't be here, that didn't mean slacking off. If anything, it would be suspicious if she weren't able to get here.

Am I overthinking it?

Maybe I am. And I still hadn't reached a conclusion about what to do with the Phantomhive attack. Truly, the possibilities of what Undertaker could do to me paled in comparison to her punishment in the future.

Really, it was the matter of whether I cared about the greater good. Should I risk intervening? What would happen if I _did_ intervene? Perhaps this was my calling?

I tapped my fingers against my chin. _Well, any attempt is better than none if faced with Undertaker's wrath._ I blinked. But, I think it's the fact of him not knowing, that he could've prevented it _if_ I told him.

I sighed. For the first time, I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what plan to follow through with. I hated this grayness of decision-making.

"My dear, are you ready? The dress isn't too uncomfortable, is it?~" I peeked at him with my visible eye and found him leaning towards me, eager for my attention.

I looked down at my attire, another purple dress gifted to me the day prior thanks to Madame Red just for today's special event. She wanted me to save the evening dress for the party, so I complied considering my clothing wouldn't function well in outings as it did working in Undertaker's shop. The style was far more subdued, but a bit elegant just to make it seem I were associated with nobility. "I'm fine. I just don't know what time you should be expecting me to get back."

He giggled. "Now now, you've done well during the past week, so you ought to enjoy today to the fullest~"

I replied dryly, "I'll do my best."

He only giggled, and just as the carriage pulled up, he got up to lead me out the door to the foot man getting ready to help me up. "Take care, dearie~"

I only spared him a glare as I ignored the bug-eyed glances from the coachman and the footman taking a seat. But just before the carriage took off, I waved back to him, seeing as he was acting like a parent sending their kid to school. Idiot.

I smiled a bit before schooling my features. I had a hour and a half's ride to Madame Red's manor, and I would whole-heartedly use that time.

…

Undertaker could only wonder what made him trust Rachel so easily. He understood she was half-demon by nature so, of course, naturally, one would have their guard up. Yet, Rachel had yet to prove of any dishonesty.

Perhaps it was that eager truthfulness of hers. Maybe that was it. She was blunt with her opinion, and if anyone doubted her, she'd go out of her way to prove it, if she cared to, of course.

He smiled as he walked into his shop, having seen the glimpse of a just-barely-there smile of hers. He felt like a parent, dropping off their first kid to school. He giggled. What this what it felt like?

Of course, he wasn't being serious. She was young, very, in fact, yet too wise beyond her years. A heavy price came with that, he would know.

He walked over to the corpse she'd finished stitching the other day, mindlessly assessing her work. He could see the improvement in workmanship the more stitches he encountered. They weren't spaced out as oddly and less retries - mainly due to the decreased amount of holes.

He wouldn't say Rachel was confident nor arrogant, not even when she acted like it. However, there was a cool-headedness to her that he admired. How she's able to adapt to his requirements as an underling. Of course, it could be the demon side of her taking over, but Rachel seemed like the earnest kind to do things in her power first before relying on anyone.

He smirked. Ah, what a hassle those were~ The type to never rely on anyone unless absolutely necessary.

What fun he'd have breaking her in~

"Hey, old man~ Hope you don't mind the intrusion!" He turned his head to where her associate, Zero, would be.

"Hihi, not at all~ Make yourself at home while I get some tea started~"

"Uh, sure. Go ahead." He sat down on a coffin awkwardly, still not comfortable.

Undertaker grinned sharply. He wasn't as fond of Zero because of the fact that he and Rachel were quite literally opposites. His presence was very noticeable wherein Rachel's blended right in. He chattered easily while she remained silent.

Perhaps it was that camaraderie of solitude and quiet that they were able to get along very well. Rachel, not Zero. A solace only the two shared when they were alone.

But, of course, if he were to be completely honest with himself, he was also jealous that Zero had all access to Rachel: her trust, dependency, even her easygoing nature. Many of those were time-sensitive, but if his intuition were correct, Rachel was not the type to remain in any place too long.

She had a free-spiritedness about her, a detachment to relationships that allowed her to slip in and out of people's lives with ease. Of course, he couldn't know for sure, but he could never mistake a gut feeling. And if he wasn't wrong, he may as well be working against an invisible timer.

What a shame for her to slip away before he could dissect her openly and freely.

Lost in his head, he mindlessly went about the motions of boiling water before transferring it to two beakers and adding tea bags for them to steep before making his way to the foyer of his shop. Locating Zero, he offered the tea before assuming his place at his desk. "I never did get to fully thank you for your help in bringing in the desk, hihi~"

Zero scratched his head. "Oh, haha, don't worry about, sir~ Don't mind at all~"

He smirked. "But, if you don't mind, I would also like to ask you for extra help~"

Zero straightened up, tilting his head, puzzled. He looked around the shop and noticing the cadaver, shivered. "Uh, this has nothing to do with coffins nor what's in it, right?"

Undertaker giggled. "Heh, not today~ However, I'm experiencing several bumps in the road with your associate."

Zero's brow lifted as he smirked. "Really? Well, who doesn't? Took her a month to stop hating me!~"

Undertaker's mouth quirked. "Oh~?"

Zero nodded as he sipped the beaker cautiously. "Oh yeah, and not because I'm gay, mind you, but because Rachel just generally hates people. She doesn't like it when people try to get close to her."

"Hihi, is that so? Any ways around it~"

Zero paused to look at Rachel's boss for a good moment. "What is it you want from her, exactly?"

Undertaker's grin broadened. "I desire the purest of laughter, and for Rachel to provide, I must find ways for her to cooperate~"

Zero deadpanned, already knowing he was bullshitting, but because he also knew that her boss wouldn't elaborate anymore than that, he decided to play along. "Alright, well, one way to get her to open up is to be genuine, but interesting. She doesn't like to be around people she can easily read nor people whom she can't discern their intentions. More of a half n' half type of deal."

Undertaker hummed as he drank his beaker, liquid spilling out the sides of his mouth. When he finished, he wiped his mouth with his sleeve, completely oblivious to Zero's distaste.

Said associate grimaced, knowing that his associate would've hated for tea go to waste. She hated people who wasted food. He then wondered how she put up with him. She was not known for her patience. At least, when she's not in a good mood, which was often.

"Be genuine but interesting, ne~ Well now, I believe I can manage~" He giggled creepily as ideas started popping inside his head.

Zero sweat dropped but offered, "Would you be open to another piece of advice?"

Undertaker smirked. "Depends on what it is~"

Zero cocked his head. "Well, if you want her to warm up to you, talk to her about things she likes. Even teaching her new things works, too, but that's all I have to say."

Undertaker bobbed his head eagerly. "Oh yes~ She's quite fond of music, no?"

Zero snorted. "Understatement of the century, but yeah. Good starting place."

"Very well~ That will suffice. Many thanks, Zero-kun~ Hihi, drop by anytime if you want your favor returned~"

Zero smiled tightly. "Sure sure, just don't let her know it came from me."

Undertaker snickered. "Of course~"

...

Rachel's POV (1st)  
So it was decided: I would attempt to save the Phantomhives. While I was still uncertain about letting Undertaker know about the Phantomhive manor attack, I owed it to him as well as Vincent to at least try.

What I worried about most was the aftermath. Although there was a chance that someone could stop me, the probability of me succeeding also seemed slim. What if my presence alone had introduced a new element into the show?

I would really hope not.

It was complicated enough having to deal with the culture shock, but now to worry about potential enemies crossing over could only mean disaster. I shuddered. I could only hope she didn't find a way here.

I looked out the window, observing busy city life before arriving at Madame Red's manor. The cobblestone roads weren't very pleasant what with all the bumps, no matter how soft the cushion of the seat was. Walking would've been preferable to this, but oh well.

I didn't know much about Madame Red before the accident, before meeting Grell. Besides the fact that she was still in love with Vincent - everyone seemed obsessed with him in the manga - her transformation had been inspired because of his rejection.

It was amazing to me how accepting people were of pain when they could be happy that their loved ones were happy. I was no stranger to it, pain, but the kind of pain that you were happy to live with… That seemed most painful yet unselfish of a person.

I should want to empathize with her, to relate with her on that same level of having to give up what you want for someone else to benefit from. Maybe that's why I accepted her invitation? Perhaps we were kindred souls.

My expression soured. Not like soul mates, but at least as close friends who could confide in each other. I didn't know how much I could trust Madame Red with, but if she could keep Grell's secret, then perhaps it wouldn't be a bad decision.

But of course, that came after the trauma of losing her baby. Grell became her new anchor after having lost everything…

I sighed. _Nothing in life is ever easy._

The carriage stopped and I looked up to see Madame Red's manor come into view. Being married to a Baron, her station in the ranks of nobility wasn't as high, but she was still well off, in my opinion.

Once the carriage pulled up to the front, it jolted to a stop, and I could hear the footmen jump down from the back to escort me out. As the door opened, I bunched the heavy dress to not slip on the way out and looked up to see Madame Red waiting impatiently for me.

As soon as I neared her, she grabbed my hands and pulled me into a hug, making me stiffen in surprise. I awkwardly placed my hands on her back, patting her gently before nudging her away. She gave me an amused half-smirk, and right then and there, I swore I'd be damned if she and Undertaker weren't plotting something behind my back.

"I know it's been quite a while since I saw you last, but I'm quite happy you could make it. Just so you know, I did plan a bit of some outing for today~" She elbowed me playfully as if thinking she'd outsmarted me. "Heaven knows that mortician wouldn't know anything about a woman's comfort and care."

I deadpanned, not bothered about bursting her bubble. "Well, seeing as you're all dressed up and my early arrival to your manor, I suspected as much."

She pouted before circling my arm with hers to lead me back to her home. With a sniff, she retorted disdainfully, "Well, be as it may, I'll see to it that you're /well/ taken cared of~" She squeezed my arm a bit, as if her veiled "threat" didn't do enough.

I barely concealed my snort.

Just barely.

…

So, as it turns out, she wasn't kidding.

I sighed, looking down at what was probably the tenth dress I'd tried on.

"You know, Madame Red, I appreciate the courtesy and all, but you don't need to do this." I pinched the skirt, lifting it as I focused on not passing out, thanks to the corset.

Madame Red had planned on buying me feminine clothes for a while now, using the excuse of wanting a niece/fellow girlfriend to spoil on, not like Lizzy existed, but someone about her age. Which was not the case at all.

"I have nothing with which to repay you either." I quirked an eyebrow. Not even the salary courtesy of Undertaker would cover these expenses.

Predictably, a sharp laugh came from the redhead as she dismissed my complaints. "Now now, all the payment I ask for are more future outings, and I'll not have you dressed in a mortician's garb while doing so~"

I blanked. "Sure."

I peeled back the curtain of the dressing room to show off the dress she wanted me to sample. Currently, we were at Hopkin's Tailor shop, trying on different kinds of gowns such as daily wear, evening party dresses, even night gowns. Already, besides the one I owned, she bought two more party dresses, one a blueish purple and the other was black with purple highlights. As for outings, three dresses that were blue, a soft purple, and indigo. Already, pale colors were ruled out, so dark hues were far more favorable.

And right now, I had on a red dress to appeal Angelina's craving of color. Personally, I didn't like red due to it's brightness and attractiveness. Personally, I wouldn't have minded more black dresses.

"Hmm, we'll have to do something about your hair…" I felt a playful tug on a strand as she played with my hair.

When silence ensued a bit too long while she attempted making a bun, I decided to ask, "So, how far along is your pregnancy?"

"Hm, well, we'll be expecting the baby within the next year or so.* Probably around January or February?" She looked down at the bump in her belly before stroking it fondly. "Would you like to feel them kick?"

I sweat dropped. "Oh, you don't have to."

She laughed before coaxing my hand onto her bump and placing it on the side. I waited awkwardly until I felt it kick and was so surprised that I forgot about being embarrassed.

"Oh!" My brows furrowed as I felt one more kick before pulling my hand away and looking at it then back to Madame Red. "Doesn't the kicking bother you sometimes?"

She smiled gently as she rubbed her bump. "Oh, never~ Well, unless if I need to go the water closet, that is."

I snorted and she smirked at me before going back to playing with my hair. "You know, I'm sure I said this before, but your hair is quite thick and voluminous! Have you thought of growing it out some more? We'd be able to curl it then~"

I shook my head. "No, thank you. Too much hassle, and besides, I already have Undertaker whose made it his priority to care for my hair."

She giggled. "Ah, so I'm just the designer?"

I shrugged. "I don't really care. So long as you know how to do braids and whatnot, I don't mind."

She looked at me from over my shoulder to frown at me. "You mean to tell me you don't even know how to braid your own hair?!"

I shrugged helplessly as she harrumphed in disapproval.

"Why, this won't do at all! Very well then, by the end of today, I'll see to it that you don't return until you learn two new hairstyles~"

"Seriously, Madame, don't overwork yourself trying to help me. Besides, I don't care to dress up often."

"Oh, pish-posh! Every woman ought to present themselves in a suitable manner, whether that is at home, work, and even the party~ Believe you me, dear, you'll be a changed woman by the time I'm through with you."

I sighed, choosing to simply be wise and give in. "If you say so, Madame."

I felt a whack on my head which had been cushioned by my hair design which had been braided before ending in a bun, my bangs freely framing my face. She hadn't touched them at all, in fact. I looked back at her, offended and covering the smarting area with a hand to find her holding a fan. "And that's Angelina to you, not Madame."

I sighed. "Yes, ma'am."

She beamed. "Excellent! Now, about those maternity clothes~ I am in dire need of a second opinion, and who better than you to assist me? Fu fu~ Now, come along, dear! Change back into your original clothes for we have more stores to look forward to."

I hung my head as I struggled back to the changing stall. I take back all my complaints about Red being a shopaholic because it seemed Madame Red one-upped her in all the ways possible.

…

"Oh, wasn't today just peachy, Elle~?"

I tiredly rubbed my face as the carriage rumbled along to Madame Red's mansion. "Oh sure, absolutely fantastic. Best day of my life."

I felt her fan whack my shoulder again, and I didn't hesitate to level a tired glare at her which she matched with her red hot temper.

"Oi! Give me some time to recover! You don't know how draining it is to deal with people nonstop, have to retry clothes incessantly to see if they fit, go window shopping- which, by the way, is the most useless form of shopping since all you do is _look_ \- and whatever nonsense you made me do today."

She scoffed, setting a hand on her hip as she indignantly replied, "So you mean to tell me that all my effort has gone to waste?"

I narrowed my eyes at her, but I didn't need to answer for her to understand that my version of a "hangout" differed greatly from hers. Starting with the fact that I was not - I repeat, _not_ \- an outgoing person. How she managed to hop off the "loners" boat and onto the socialite's cruise was beyond me.

But, of course, I had to be careful not to offend her given the fact that all the dresses and gowns were paid for. Mind you, we also shopped for her maternity dresses, so that evened out a bit. Otherwise, the lunch, shoes, undergarments, and whatever else I needed for my Victorian cover were all paid by her, which put _me_ in a very tight spot.

No matter how much I refused, she'd go ahead and buy it for me, insistent that my image in society must be maintained anytime I was around her. And although she had a point, I sensed she had somewhat of a point to make. I just hoped it didn't result in her utilizing my debt against me.

"No, it wasn't a failure, but it's not what I would call a 'fun time'." I crossed my arms, looking out the window.

"So you mean to tell me that you'd prefer to stay indoors, play some games, and 'hang out' as your version of fun?"

Based on the distaste in her tone, I'd hazard a guess she found that mundane and boring. I simply looked back at her boredom and shrugged. "Hey, simplicity is key."

She rose an eyebrow at my lingo but cracked a smirk anyway. "Perhaps, but I'd like there to be a flair of uniqueness if and whenever I so choose to spend a day out with friends."

The carriage rolled to a stop as it pulled in front of her manor, and we waited patiently for the footman to open the door and assist us out (well, mostly her, I just hopped off). Once she'd directed instructions to the coachmen of where to drop off my products for the Undertaker's place, I followed her silently into the reception hall.

"Well, dear, you'll have to excuse me. I'll be changing so I'll have my maids assist you into your night clothes before we rendezvous with our night games~"

I paused, quirking an eyebrow. "Wait, what? Wasn't I supposed to head back?"

She also stopped and looked back at me amused, as one would when a kitten had their head stuck in a bottle. "Why, of course not! You'll be staying the night, dear. In that case, I had already prepared a night gown for you."

I blinked. "A night gown? Wait, does Undertaker know about this? Me staying for the night?"

She smiled. "Yes, a night gown. And I'm sure he won't mind. After all, you ought to go out more. Live a little!"

I frowned. I didn't own any nightgowns since I hadn't liked how choked my neck was. I much rather preferred pajamas anyway, but she didn't know that. "Well, just in case, I'll contact him to make sure. And don't worry about the night gown, I've got my own clothes planned."

She rose an eyebrow but dismissed her curiosity. "If you say so. The option is still available. And the phone is right by my office. I'll have Stanford ready the call for you."

I nodded. "Alright, thanks."

She winked. "Of course! Now, if you'll excuse me~"

One of her maids appeared to lead her back to her room as the head butler directed me to her office to use the phone. He dialed for Undertaker's shop before handing me the phone and making his way out, informing me that a maid would direct me to my room. I nodded, waiting for the dial tone until a familiar voice popped up.

"Hi hi~ This is the Undertaker's residence. How may I be of service?~"

I sighed. "Un."

"Ara~ If it isn't my lovely assistant, hihihi! Miss me already, dear?~"

"Sure. About the hangout, just so there's no misconception, I'll be staying the night at Madame Red's place. Is that alright with you?"

"He he, you're already a grown woman, dear~ I'm sure you can decide for yourself. Besides, I'd already expected you to stay there~"

My eyebrow ticked out of annoyance. "Great. Then I'll see you tomorrow." Just as I was about to hang up, he intercepted.

"Ah, before you do, dear, a little favor from me to you~"

"Yes?"

"Do be careful how much indulge to the madame~ Hihi, some things are better left unsaid."

My brows furrowed. "I know."

"Hihi, I'm sure you do~ And, just a little side note, don't wash your hair until you've made it home. I've a little surprise planned for you~"

Immediately, I felt unsettled. I know Undertaker was capable of many things, and the not knowing part was what bothered me the post. "Uh, sure. If that's all, I'll be going now."

"Hihi, have fun~" With that, the call ended and I put it back into the receiver.

Well, I guess he suspects something's up with Madame Red, so I'll have to keep my guard up.

"My lady, Madame Red requests you in her bedroom as soon as you're done changing. I'll be the one to lead you to your room. Would you like any assistance in changing clothes?" A demure maid was standing at the door, patiently waiting, I guess.

"That won't be required. I just need directions to the room so I can change."

"As for the gown?"

"Leave it, I have something else prepared."

"Very well."

With that, a quarter of an hour later found me knocking on Madame Red's door. "My, that took quite a while~ Did the dress give you any trouble?"

"Not at all. My boss simply informed me what I need to do for tomorrow."

"Is that so? Well, come in before you catch a cold. Can't have a guest sick already~" She ushered me into her room, which I'm sure would've been highly inappropriate. However, considering that she told me her husband didn't mind her having friends over, I guess it gave her leeway.

"Now, I'm sure you could guess, as well as I, why I brought you here, right?"

I raised an eyebrow. "No…?"

"You couldn't have possibly missed the signs, could you?"

I blanked. _What signs?_

She then started to move towards me, and I blanched and stepped away. "Um, Madame, whatever you're insinuating, I hope it's nothing unprofessional."

She blinked before laughing, collapsing on the bed. "Oh, Ellie~ Surely you wouldn't think that low of me, would you?"

I deadpanned. "Madame, I don't know if you've noticed, but I don't hold expectations of anybody."

She patted my shoulder. "Oh sweetie, you need to loosen up! Just a joke, after all."

I sighed. Lately, it seems I'm surrounded by people with low standards of what _good_ joke actually is.

A stifled giggle came out, but she corrected it by clearing her throat. "Now then, all jokes aside, there was a matter I wanted to discuss with you before retiring."

I settled on her bed after she patted it invitingly. "Yes?"

She stared at me thoughtfully before asking quietly, "You know about me, don't you?"

I blinked, feeling a stab of panic. _What gave it away this time?_

Taking my silence as a sign to continue, she added, "And I don't mean just me. I'm talking about everyone here."

I studied her carefully. I wasn't one for deceit nor did I like resorting to any method pertaining that because then it would take extra work keeping up with the lies. So, I opted for some loopholes instead.

"What brought about this whole idea, Mrs. Ann?" I cocked my head at her.

She smiled coyly. "Well, it may be just me, but sometimes, the way you act or even look at certain people, you just seem to know. Maybe not by experience, but, at the very least, intellectually."

"And, let's say if I did, what is it that you want to know?"

She paused before giving me a patient smile. "Well, I necessarily didn't want anything from you per se. Rather, I'd like to lend a hand, or an ear. Offer a second opinion."

I looked at her warily. "A second opinion?"

"Yes. For example, if it comes to the decision that you want to change something that happened in the past, I could help you decide whether you ought to or not. You know, shuffle the cards a bit." She grinned playfully at me, trying to lighten the mood.

Unfortunately, I wasn't in the state of mind to be tempted. "Shuffle the cards? What makes you think I'd /attempt/ to change the future?"

Her smile dropped from her face, now fully realizing the brevity of the situation. "You mean to tell me that you would allow nature to run its course, even if it meant losing a friend?"

I narrowed my eyes at her. "Madame, I believe in a greater force out there, and I've grown up on the principle that our actions have consequences. Perhaps one small thing I did may seem inconsequential, but in the long run, may mean the difference between life or death. Simply saving a person who was meant to die or vice versa could impact my life in the future with disastrous effects. As much as possible, I'd like to avoid that."

Based on the confusion on her face, I could tell she didn't agree with my way of thinking nor like it either. "Isn't that rather prejudiced of you, however?"

I shrugged. "It may be, but as a doctor, I think you'd know that better than I do."

She seemed to flinch, not expecting such a blunt retort. Unfortunately, what Madame Red didn't realize was that she was no longer talking to Rachel but rather Ruth.

"Madame, simply put, all I came for is still a mystery to me. I don't know if I'm meant to change anything, correct it, or even cause an event. However, my main priority is going back home. In the meantime, I don't plan on playing with fate. 'Fate can be one mean bitch of a lab', and I don't care to particularly complicate my problems with more problems*."

The dense atmosphere in the room made it a bit hard for her to open up, especially with the weight of the finality of my decision, so I decided to become a bit more gentle. "Madame, if possible, I'd like for everyone to have a happy ending, but if it means losing the future, then the responsibility would lie one me for causing it. You understand, don't you?"

She looked at me with conflicted eyes, the pain she usually hid so well now forefront and exposed in all its wallowing glory. "Of course. My apologies for expecting too much from you. I just only hoped…"

I stared at her expectantly. "Hoped?"

She gave me a pained smile. "Well, I can only hope that mine is a happy ending, too."

My smile mirrored hers, but inwardly, my stomach lurched painfully to that.

How I could sit there, knowing she'd lose everyone again, and still tell her I wouldn't do anything about it eluded me.

*The star indicates that it was somewhat of a quote taken from Garth Stein's The Art of Racing in the Rain. It's a beautiful book, and highly recommended you read it if you're an dog lover especially considering the author writes in the perspective of a dog.

08/31/19

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	20. Chapter 19

A/N: Welp, I got to about 4.2k words, and I'm a bit late, but sue me. Work and school got to me, but I'm working on time management now that I've recruited a friend to help push me along the way, lmao (you know who you are!). But otherwise, nothing of note here besides a little admission that this chapter was inspired from chapter 3 of Dark Mistress Lady Rose's story Beakers and a Good Laugh. I hope that it isn't plagiarism considering the outcome is way different and a lot more spicy than this innocent one, but I highly encourage you to read it if you haven't yet. But, if it's an issue, let me know. But sincerely, I hope inspiration doesn't work against me for this one.

Now onto the reviews:

BeautifulDisaster0831: Thanks so much for taking the time to review. I'm like you most of the time I follow a story, but it's wonderful to hear feedback. I hope this month's chapter (technically last month, lol) meets your expectations. Thanks again for the review, it's very appreciated.

skaterrockgirl: I never really thought of that, Sebastian not being a people person. I'd always thought he was a people person because of how easy it is for him to manipulate and seduce others. That's a very interesting perspective I'll have to consider, so thank you for that tidbit, even if it was unintentional, lol. Look at me notice the tiny bit of the review compared to what you asked, whoops! But, to answer your main question, for Undertaker, I'd always viewed him as someone more similar to Rachel because he's also not a people person, and considering he's odd and quirky, it might gain Rachel's interest, but then again, he has to do something extra special to really have her attention. And, it is hinted in one of the goals I had for this story, if you recall. Sebastian has it as well, but I think Rachel will be put to the test on how self-aware she is of her desires and if she'll work for it or give them up. Thanks again for the review and info, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroshitsuji nor will I ever. Everything read not included in the manga are my ideas and characters alone unless mentioned otherwise.

Chapter 19 Rachel's POV (1st)  
 _August 28, 1885 - Friday_  
We sat there moping for a bit, Madame Red and I. I was at a loss for words, especially since I wasn't one to start small talk nor entertain one.

"So, that attire of yours… I'm guessing it's the norm for wherever you've come from?" Madame Red was looking at my shirt and pajamas with a sort of amused and inquisitive look on her face. The previous conversation wasn't lost on her, but I guess the distraction would have to do.

"I guess you can say that. It's far more comfortable than your night dresses, anyhow…" I trailed off.

Her head tilted before her gaze lifted to my hair which segued to our next topic of conversation: my hair.

"Well, I believe I stated something along the lines of teaching you two new hair styles, didn't I?"

I shrugged. "I suppose."

She gave me a sly grin and patted the area on the bed in front of her. "Well, come over here~"

I blanked at the gesture then curled my lip in disgust to which she burst out laughing.

"Oh Elley, surely you know me by now! I won't do anything to you~ Not unless if you ask for it, of course."

I rose an eyebrow. "See, my point exactly. And au contraire, there's much left to be desired." I moved closer anyways, but left enough of a gap that it wouldn't seem deliberate but comfortable enough for her to do what she liked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" The pout was evident in her voice.

"Hm, you'll see."

"That's not much of an answer, you know~"

"Not my problem."

 _Smack!_

"Ow! The hell was that for?!"

"Language! A lady never raises her voice nor does she speak out of line~ She does her best to look appealing and feminine but elegant and mature."

 _Ok?_ I quirked an eyebrow at that but scoffed. "Who are you calling a lady?"

"Hah, just you wait, dear, your time will come soon enough and you'll regret not paying attention."

"Sure."

"Now, we'll first be learning the French braid, first how to do it on someone else, then ourselves. For your sake, it's easier if you see how it's done, then we'll move on to the next style…"

…

"So like this?"

We had moved to the dresser so we could utilize the mirror for me to observe how she made a French braid. But of course, it took several tries until I was able to successfully braid hers without tangling my fingers. And luckily, her hair wasn't as thick mine, which was a future issue for me considering she was going to teach me how to do it on myself.

"Yes, that's absolutely splendid! And it only took half an hour. Can't say the same for the next part, however, but I suppose it's worth a shot." She sighed, as if she were preparing to face for impending doom for my struggle. "Especially with that thick hair of yours." She wrung out her long hair, combing through it so it was easier to teach me although it wasted the precious time I took to perfect it.

"Now, like you did earlier, part the hair into two and take two smaller portions to twist together and then constantly add a few more strands. Like so, until you reach the end." In no time at all, she already had a braid finished.

I stared with narrow eyes before taking a seat and angling my hair towards the mirror. Madame Red held up another mirror so I could see its reflection.

"Now, don't worry about it not being straight, we'll get to that later."

I sighed. "Of course."

A few more minutes silence, and I gave up. I set them down, leaving half a braid finished which confused Madame Red.

"Is there something wrong, dear?"

I didn't look at her. "My arms are too tired." And they did. The muscles were burning from holding up too long and braiding Madame Red's hair incessantly.

She snorted a bit and waved off my glare. "Aw, aren't you just the cutest? No need to fear, you'll build the stamina in due time. All you need to do is practice. I'm sure you'll perfect it in no time." She glanced at the clock and poured. "Ah, but alas, we've run out of time. It's a quarter til ten, but it's enough time for you to return to your room. I'll have a maid escort you to your room."

"Ah, alright, thanks."

"Mm-hmm~ tata, dear."

I headed to the door and opened it, turning the handle but stopped just before leaving, looking back at her. "By the way, is it alright?"

She looked at me owlishly, having gotten under the covers but still sitting upright. She then smiled, understanding the hidden meaning behind my query. "Oh, I'm sure no one would mind a bit of hair grooming between two women. Now, run along~ can't miss out on our beauty sleep."

I sweatdropped. _Sure, if we conveniently left out that it happened in your bedroom_. But I shrugged it off. "Very well, Madame. I'll see you tomorrow, in that case."

With that, I was escorted back, bid goodnight, and then left alone with a candle in hand, held by a saucer.

I rubbed my temple, still a bit confused over whatever the hell just happened in the bedroom. I still was unsure with eliciting my burden on someone such as Madame Red. I would've told Undertaker if only I knew he wouldn't try to do something to suit his wants.

I contemplated, getting into the soft bed made of finer material than Undertaker's. Of course, he wasn't rich, but I honestly didn't mind staying under his care. It was comfortable enough, had work needed to be done, and slightly annoying company. Way better than working under a demonic butler.

I shuddered, thinking about the future servants of Phantomhive. To be employed in the manor would require constant servitude to the lords and ladies of the house. I didn't mind hard work, but Undertaker was far easier to deal with and more lax.

Speaking of which, I'd have to begin practicing with Zero. Recently, I'd begin to sense some demonic activity, and it wouldn't be surprising if I were the cause, being half-demon. It may have to do with my scent, but I'm not sure if Undertaker had anything with which to conceal it, therefore only leaving the option of eliminating said threats. Hopefully, none of them would catch any attention.

Snuggling under the covers, I decided that I'd ask Undertaker about for a schedule that allowed me to train. I'm sure he won't mind.

…

 _August 29, 1885 - Saturday_  
The next morning passed without much event. I'd woken up, got dressed in my work clothes, had breakfast with the Baroness, and was on my way back to the shop. The Baron was a nice man, but busy so he didn't stick around long. However, I was happy for the both of them, but I knew it would only be short-lived.

Currently, I was perched near the window as the carriage bumbled it's way back to the Undertaker's. My gut was clenched however. So many decisions and so little time.

Although the initial plan to save the Phantomhives seemed feasible, does that mean I had to save Madame Red, too?

My hands fisted unconsciously. Damn it, this wasn't going to work. I'm getting soft, and that's unacceptable for an assassin my caliber. It was time.

Time to get back in the swing of things. I'd gotten too comfortable with my surroundings and it's only been a couple of weeks. My irises burned. Time to call Zero.

Taking out my phone, I tried calling Zero. I don't know if it would work here considering there's no satellites now, but who knew? To my surprise, it dialed once I'd located him and he picked up.

"Rachel? It works here? Wow, who knew~"

"Zero. It's time. Meet me at the forest tonight. We need to practice."

There was a moment of silence as the seriousness of my tone killed the playfulness and registered.

"Alright. I'll meet you there, Ruth."

"Good, I'll send you my coordinates once I've located a good area far from the city."

"Of course, see you then."

I hung up, clutching my phone. Whatever Undertaker was planning shouldn't take too long. At least, I hoped.

The carriage rolled to a stop and I looked out to see the rusty sign of my boss' name. Then the door opened and I got off, thanking the footmen before briskly making my way to the entrance and opening the door. The carriage took its leave as I tried to sense Undertaker's presence.

 _Where is he?_

I couldn't place him anywhere specific, but I could tell he was in here. _Was he masking his presence?_ I warily made my way to the center of his shop, waiting as my fingers itched for my katana.

A coffin lid suddenly burst open and I summoned a make-shift sword from dark energy as it clashed against Undertaker's well-known sotoba. Of course, his attack was a blur as I blocked a flurry of them, then I sensed rather than saw a fist heading my way. I ducked and kicked where he was only to find him gone, of course. Then a scalpel was at my throat and I was caged against a body as the sotoba pinned me from the front at my midsection.

"Hihi~ Is that the best you can do? How disappointing~"

My eyebrow ticked and I swung my sword, making him move towards where my front was which was now my six o'clock, giving me the opportunity to kick him flat on the chest. Then, I manifested several kunai and flicked my wrist, hurtling this towards his direction. But, of course, the fucker blocked it with his sotoba, leaving a neat row of embedded kunai along the transcript.

"Ara~ who knew my weapon would need some ornaments~ hihihi!"

I snorted. "Yeah, maybe your face will do nicely, as well."

He smirked at me. "Now now, were you really trying to kill me?~"

I shrugged. "Do you want me to?"

He smiled back and shrugged. It was then that I noticed that where a dusty footprint on his mortician clothes outlining my heeled boots should be, he was instead wearing a woman's dress. Not that fancy but probably one of many he used to dress his guests with.

I nodded to it, confused. "What's up with that?"

He looked down with an innocent look. "Oh this? Why, I felt like we needed a change of pace. Besides, I did say I had a surprise for you~"

I deadpanned. _Which one? The surprise attack or the dress?_

He grinned toothily, understanding my hidden question. "Not that, you silly goose~ I meant this!" He pulled out a vial from his sleeve with clawed fingers, presenting it proudly.

I commented blandly, "Wow, that's not suspicious at all."

He pouted, prancing over behind me before settling his clawed hands on my shoulders, making me lean away from his nails but he held on, pulling me back to him gently. "Now, I think you'll like this~"

I curled a lip. "Doubtful."

He snickered. "Do keep an open mind, won't you, dear~ Besides, I did say I had something for your hair better than that store can offer you after allll~"

I glanced at him skeptically before swatting his hands away. "Fine, give it here, then. I'll make sure to use it tomorrow when I wash." I held out a hand.

Instead, he grinned and pulled his hand back before using a flashy move to hide the vial again God knows where. "Ah ah ah~ There's something I require from you first."

I sighed. "What?"

"Allow me to wash your hair."

My eyes slitted. "Why?"

"Why not?" He mocked back.

I could feel a vein threaten to pop. I did not have the patience for this. "Fine, do what you want."

He grinned more, not helping the already queasy feeling I had in my stomach. I did trust him enough to not do anything to me in my sleep, besides pranks of course, but everything else? Hell no.

I shook my head before making my way to the bathroom, feeling him trail behind me. I opened the door to find that he'd already prepared for the activity with the basin full of water, a bunch of towels, and my shampoo nearby plus the vial he hid. I have a very strong gut feeling he would've gotten his way otherwise, no matter how I responded. Maybe even sling me over his shoulder and drag me here.

I looked behind to find him peering over my shoulder with a smile. "Well~"

I pointed at his dress. "First off, change outta that. I'm not letting you wash my hair in /that/."

He frowned before looking down and pinching some fabric to try and make himself look cute. Note, try. "What's wrong with my dress?"

"Everything else but the dress."

He stuck his lower lip out, even revealing an eye which just made the clash of themes even more confusing. What was he even trying to achieve with this? "And what do you mean by that, love?"

"I mean that men are not supposed to wear dresses. And certainly not you if you don't want an influx of guests to die from heart attack." I crossed my arms, staring him dead in the eye.

Then, he slumped over and looked down, and I just felt bad all of a sudden. He was just some old retired reaper, trying to have some fun and here I was, raining on his parade. "Look, you're probably going to ruin that dress if you wash my hair wearing that. Just change into something else and you can dress up some other day. I'll even do what you want later on. Just, get out of that thing." I rubbed my forehead, not looking at him in the hopes that it would ease my conscience.

Why was I even getting emotional over something as stupidly trivial as this?

"Really?~" He looked at me hopefully, and just glancing at that face ruined my prior self-will.

"Yes, now hurry up! I need to change into something else, too. I don't want these clothes to get messed up." I looked down at myself and decided that a shirt, jeans, and a hoodie might suffice… as soon as he's out the door.

I looked back up to see a grin spread like wildfire across his face as he clapped his hands excitedly before he was out the door.

Since I didn't know how long he'd take, I decided to simply manifest clothing from my dark energy to make it easier before setting up the area as he prepared. Then I noticed that there was only a stool and paused.

How in the world did he plan to wash my hair when there's only one seat for two of us?

A click of the heel near the entrance of the door grabbed my attention, and I noticed he'd forgone the outer coat and scarf he usually wore, now only dressed in his slimmer priestly looking clothes. I had no clue how to call it, but it complimented his figure nicely and made him look less old, if you asked me. He still had the blue bead necklace on but had tied back his long hair to prevent them from impeding his work. He'd also clipped back his bangs, surprisingly, so his whole face was revealed, but he wore no glasses. Hm.

Unaware that I was staring at him, he suddenly tilted his head and smiled coyly at me. "Like what you see?"

My face blanked. "There's only one stool here. How do you plan on proceeding with this?"

He giggled, but it came out less high-pitched. "Well, now, like this~" He situated himself to sit on the rim of the bath tub, his back to the opening of it so he faced me, but could still access the faucet within arm's reach. He then patted his lap and grinned looking up at me.

My face was stony. "You want me to lay my head on your lap?"

He smirked. "How else did you expect me to wash your hair?~"

I twitched as a sudden thought occurred to me. How could a mopey depressed mortician suddenly turn into this?

My eyes narrowed, still not convinced enough to sit on the stool and subject myself to whatever treatment he had in store for me. "Why can't I just wash my own hair? I don't see why you need to trouble yourself."

 _Go me. Eloquence increased by .1._

The smirk got wider. "Well, just think of it as an act of gratitude for your hard work."

I sighed. No matter what I'd do or say, this guy would always have a comeback ready.

So, I did the sensible thing and gave up.

"Alright, you win." I set myself on the stool, ignoring the amused giggling and laid back only to find resistance which was his hand holding the back of my head gently.

"Just a minute," he stated softly as he brought the basin into his lap that had a smoothed curve on one side which I guessed was supposed to support my neck. The Undertaker covered it with a soft towel to make it more comfortable before positioning my head so it was comfy. "Now, just relax. This will only take a moment~"

"Sure," I replied, a bit uncertain. He was being uncharacteristically nice for whatever reason. He was also using his deeper voice which sounded soothing to the ear, and more gentle than I'd ever heard him use on anyone else.

Looking up, I noticed that I had a very clear view of his face, and not having realized the close proximity of his face to mine made me embarrassed, which hinted at the blush in my ears, but it subsided quickly as I willed myself to gain composure.

Of course, Undertaker noticed, but a twitch of a smile and a deep chuckle was all he offered before he set to work.

I decided to simply close my eyes and wait it out. It was better than awkwardly staring at him, in my honest opinion.

As I had assumed, the basin was filled with warm water which I could feel as my hair soaked, but combined with the sensation of Undertaker's hands and nails combing through my hair made me incredibly sleepy. So much so that I hadn't noticed I'd dozed off, completely relaxed.

It wasn't until he spoke up that I startled awake.

"You see, I felt bad about what happened."

My eyes snapped open, and I stiffened on instinct, gathering my senses. _Shit, I fell asleep._

I looked up to check his face to find that his eyes were already on mine, patiently waiting for me to calm down before continuing.

"Feel bad about what?"

I shifted, trying to find something to do so I didn't fall back asleep. He'd gone back to lathering my hair with shampoo before rinsing it off.

"About what happened before the hug~"

 _Ah, so he was talking about that. That's peculiar._

"So, this is your way of making up for it?"

He smiled softly, eyes a bit remorseful. "Besides other things~ I never gave you a proper apology, now that I think about it. Hihi, how you manage to deal with this old man's antics are quite the impressive feat, dear~"

I blinked, looking up at him before closing my eyes again. "Its no big deal. Besides, you didn't really harm me, anyways. Nothing to worry about."

He smiled wryly at me, tapping my cheek gently to gain my attention. "I did ruin a bit of your trust, however~ Didn't I?"

I looked up at him. "Maybe you did, but that's in the past now. You've realized that your version of a joke sucks and I learned that you're a boss who likes to have fun. Even if it's somewhat odd and quirky. But I don't mind, so long as you're not up to anything sketchy."

He giggled. "Oh, you and your odd way of speaking~ hihihi, if that's alright with you then so be it~" He hummed away as he started adding the oils and I turned to my internal turmoil.

How could I have fallen asleep?! It's just as I suspected in the carriage. I didn't like how at ease I felt around Undertaker. Although it wasn't a bad thing, I could only sense some sort of foreboding in the future from this. My mind was screaming to get away from here, yet my body was too sluggish to act.

How long had it been since I'd lived with someone who genuinely cared for my well-being? Someone who didn't look at me like I was some financer but actually enjoyed my company?

Zero was my first defense, yet deep down, I really knew it was an excuse. We wouldn't last long as assassins, and if things turn out the way I expected, which would be my untimely death, it would only end up hurting Undertaker.

I contemplated. But even then, just leaving Undertaker with no explanation would be just as cruel. Oh, what to do?

Surely enough, my mind recognized the signals and was giving me warning signs to not get too comfortable, to keep my distance. Yet, I wanted to indulge just a bit more. Be selfish for a bit.

As much as it hurt my own moral code of being selfless, I was tired being hurt by people who only wanted me for something. It's tiring to be constantly hated and unwanted. Sure, I may not care about what they think, but overtime it wears down a person.

For now, I'll enjoy what I have. It was only a matter of letting Undertaker know and easing him into it. I couldn't risk attachment, especially not in the time period and occupation I'm in.

I had to be ready to cut the ties when need be.

…

Silence bathed the bathroom as he finished up with the oil before drying my hair with towels.

"My dear, I'm pretty sure you've been told this before, but you've rather beautiful hair. Pretty thick, too, hihi~" I could feel him tug at it playfully, and my eyelids cracked open enough to level a small glare on him.

"Yeah yeah, have your fun while it lasts. You're lucky yours is so thin."

He snickered. "Mayhaps because I'm a man, love?"

My eyebrow rose. "What's that got to do with anything?

He tapped my nose. "It's got everything to do with it, m'dear~ Now, give me a minute to dry your hair. You do have that appointment with the Phantomhives, after all."

"Hm, I suppose."

"How's that been coming along?"

I shrugged. "I've yet to see if any talent will arise. It's not as though they'll become musicians, but we'll see."

"Hihi, is that right?"

I hummed, running a hand down my face before realizing that my whole face was exposed. I froze. Then stared up at Undertaker.

"Hm? Something the matter, dear?"

I felt a stab of panic as I suddenly covered my scar. How did I not notice?

"Ah, your scar~ I was wondering where you got it from~ Seems like someone's been hiding their own secrets, neh~" He smiled at me as he ran a finger down the length of my scar, beginning from just above by right brow to below my eye.

I grabbed his hand, feeling a shiver run up my spine at the sensitive touch before he surprised me and grabbed my hand to place against his scar.

I stilled, unsure but nonetheless I ran it along the length from under his jaw to just the bridge of his nose, shy of his left eye then retracted my hand. His eyes widened at the motion, lips parted in surprise before they focused on me.

I swallowed, feeling weird but tingly. I don't know what that was about, but that felt incredibly intimate, whatever the hell just happened. My scar still tingled as did my finger, and he was staring at me rather intently. Almost like he could see inside me. And with eyes as piercingly green as his, I wouldn't doubt it.

I cleared my throat. "Uh, if you're done drying my hair, we still have work to get to before my piano lesson with the twins."

He blinked, broken from whatever spell he was transfixed by and ducked his head to allow the bangs to fall forward and cover what seemed like a blush on his face. "Ah yes, of course. We should get on that, yes~ Hihi!"

The moment I sat up, he scurried out of the bathroom, leaving me speechless. Okay then, I suppose I'll have to tell him about my practice with Zero later on. Whether or not that would be daily or every other day would need to be discussed.

But for sure, I needed to be on top of my game if I were to keep up with my change in plans. Not only did my life count on it, but everyone else as well.

09/30/19


	21. Chapter 20

A/N: So, Happy Halloween to everyone! I don't celebrate it however, currently, I am in the process of making a 100 Fav/Follower Special to celebrate said event (as well as the title itself) and to thank you guys for all the attention this story has received. I honestly didn't think it could ever reach to this point, but I couldn't have done it without you all, and you have my deepest gratitude.

By the way, for anyone reading the manga still (at least I hope so, lol), the whole Baron thing sleeping with the servant girls honestly surprised me. Did not expect it to be somewhat similar to my lousy mystery arc, lmao. I'm still trying to think of ways to improve it, but it's gonna take some time. Hopefully, I develop some good ideas for it.

Either way, I will be listing everyone's username under the Fav/Follow accordingly in the special to recognize your individual effort in making this possible. Just a little spoiler alert, it's going to be a Time Travel future kind of scenario, like a _What if?_ skit. Hopefully you enjoy it, and if anyone likes to contribute some of their ideas, I'll be making more parts that involve Ciel and Sebastian.

Anyways, all that aside, on to the reviews:

skaterrockgirl: Thank you so much for enjoying it. It's a bit of a slow burn romance thing, but with Rachel's personality/history, it'd be hard to rush things lmao. But thank you for noticing that detail. Hopefully today's chapter doesn't seem too OOC for him. But in relation to Sebastian, I do understand your point, and I do actually agree with you. He does have this disdain for humans but at the same time finds them interesting. Very dualistic if you think about it. I just hope that I do justice in portraying his character when he encounters Rachel. Honestly, there's a lot of possibilities that could happen between now and when the storyline actually begins (the 3 year gap), so stick around for more! Thanks again for reading and taking the time to review. It really makes me happy to see any kind of feedback, especially yours!

Midna the Pokemon: The M rating is a combination of both language, dark themes, and _maybe_ explicit content. I'm still kinda undecided over that, but definitely the first two. We're still somewhat in the introduction phase, but the themes may contain sensitive topics such as rape, abuse, violence, gore, and maybe a few more, but I'll be sure to put a warning at the top of the chapter. Thank you for having me clarify this in case other readers were interested, and I hope you enjoy today's chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroshitsuji nor will I ever, Everything read not included in the manga are my ideas and characters alone unless mentioned otherwise.

Chapter 20 Rachel's POV (1st)  
 _August 29, 1885 - Saturday_  
 _CLANG!_

Our swords clashed against each other, Zero and I, as we each tried to gain the upper hand over the other. While Zero allowed me to sharpen my skills, I needed to find a new opponent, someone far more experienced and a bit intimidating.

 _Bam!_

I narrowly sidestepped a punch that ended up landing on an unfortunate tree before flinging my kunai at Zero.

Of course, he dodged then promptly cut the invisible string attached to them.

I sighed. We were too familiar with each other's antics to call this a fight anymore.

"Rachel? You alright? You've been pretty distracted lately."

My brows furrowed. "You could tell?"

He deadpanned, the look on his face saying it was more than obvious. "Besides the fact that you're not properly concentrating on our fight, you're not going all in either."

I blinked before glancing at my sword. "Maybe. Perhaps we should switch it up, use different weapons?"

He tilted his head before shrugging. "I'm down. Five?"

"How about three? I can't stay out too long or else Undertaker might come looking for me."

"Alright, not a problem." He held up his sword again, stance battle-ready. "Shall we begin?"

I nodded, mirroring his stance before we lunged at each other, metal clashing as we once more sparred. Sparks flew at the intensity of our strikes.

When our blades crossed again at a stalemate, I pushed his away before swinging it at his head which he leaned back from. Then his sword attempted to upper-cut me, but I jumped away. We continued our cut-and-chase, me slicing a branch at times to divert before honing in.

Then, to switch things up, I manifested two sai, preparing to lunge at him, but he blocked with his own pair. He parried my own flurry of strikes before going on the offensive, aiming for vital spots which I blocked, then aimed for his arm. Cloth tore, but I smelled no blood. I kicked him back a few feet before morphing the sai into a dagger.

He smirked, knowing this one would be intense and more dangerous. "You sure about this?"

I narrowed my eyes saying nothing. This would be far more close range, one which I felt was long overdue.

He swung at me, the blade slicing through the air, but I stepped back before grabbing his arm and pulling him towards me to throw him off balance. My blade was waiting for him, aimed for his throat, but his free hand stopped it in time. We both struggled to get out of each other's grasp until I brought my knee up to his stomach.

He grunted in pain, but let go, throwing a punch which I blocked with both arms but pushed me back. He ran towards me and flung his dagger which I side stepped, but he used fists now. I ended up having to dodge or block until I could throw my own to throw him off guard before dropping low and kicking his feet, making him fall to the ground.

My knife was at his throat before he could do anything else. "Checkmate."

He laughed breathlessly. "Still the same. Maybe you should get a different opponent. What about that Undertaker guy? You said he was a top-notch reaper back in his day."

I frowned, a bit uncomfortable idea, but I had the same thought. He was intimidating and could easily hold off his own against three people. It would be a learning curve in my case, not that I couldn't handle multiple enemies, but at least the unpredictability would keep me on my toes.

"I'll have to ask him about it."

"But you're not doing this because he needs it. It's because of the rise in demon activity?"

I nodded, unsurprised he'd noticed as well. Especially because of my presence, some demons had come to investigate, but because I've killed one too many, I expected a few powerful ones to pop up eventually.

"Well, in that case, best of luck. I'm sure your boss could easily take care of it."

"True, but he hired me to protect him, so that's what I'll do."

Zero smiled and shrugged, but said nothing more. "Let's start heading back. It's almost daylight and I need _some_ sleep."

I scoffed. "Oh please, a one-nighter won't kill you."

He glared sideways at me. "Maybe not for you, but I require beauty sleep."

He stomped off in his direction towards the bar where he apparently stayed and worked while I hung back before jumping onto a roof and walking toward Undertaker's mortuary.

Today had been incredibly eventful, and I expected no less after what happened at the Phantomhive manor today.

…

 _Earlier that day…_

"Rachel-san! Rachel-san!"

I looked away from the piano to find the twins crowding around the piano bench, one of them holding a book behind their back. I pretended not to notice for their sake.

"Would you mind reading to us?" The braver one, Master Ciel, I presumed, was eagerly leaning towards me as his younger brother hung back, nodding. "Father is busy entertaining guests and Mother is with Aunty Ann and we have no one to play with!"

I drew my eyebrows in confusion. "What about Tanaka?" I nodded in his direction where he stood sentry at the door. Although I would've expected for the butler to shadow the Earl, in this case, Diedrich was enough of a bodyguard, I assumed.

He pouted. "We wanna play with you, though!" He was now tugging on my arm, threatening to spill the contents in my hands which were the sheet music I had been putting away.

"Alright, alright, give me a second." With that, he let go and started cheering, prancing around with his younger brother as I filed away the papers before getting up.

I watched them as they giggled, twirling around with joint hands as they waited for me to finish.

"So? What was it you wanted to play?" I had lowered myself to one knee in order to look them in the eye. They both gathered before me, looking at each other before acting all hush-hush and leaning towards me with a serious face.

Master Ciel held up a finger to his lips, saying, "It's a secret. You can't tell anyone else." His twin vehemently nodded, still attempting to hide the book behind his back.

I sweat dropped before nodding uncertainly. Unless if the book they had in mind for me to read was inappropriate for their age, I didn't see why they had to be so dramatic.

They both paused, assessing my reaction before unleashing a beaming smile. "You're going to read a book for us!"

Bocchan revealed the mysterious item, shyly holding it out towards me to take. I looked at the cover to find it was labeled _Black Beauty_ by Anna Sewell. My eyebrows rose, surprised to find it lasted this long. "You want me to read this?"

They nodded again.

"Alright, do you have a library or a room where it's comfortable for me to read for the both of you?" I got up, inspecting the back to confirm it was the same story I'd read as a child, and sure enough, they were one in the same. I was suddenly startled to find my free hand grabbed by one of the twins before being pulled out the door to whatever direction they were leading me.

"Hurry or else Ciel's going to leave us behind!"

Ah, so it was bocchan. He suddenly stopped and I looked up to find that we were in the library. Tanaka had arrived behind us, and when I looked back at him to see if it was alright, my confirmation came in a small smile and a nod. I guess he trusted me enough to be alone with them.

I shrugged before being pulled again by the younger twin to a couch chair where I joined Master Ciel. There was enough room for them to seat themselves comfortably on either side of me, leaning against me to see the pictures in the book.

The library, or what I've seen of it so far, seemed endless, teaming with endless books. I was sure there was a children's section for them to peruse and a made a note to visit it in case they wanted to do this again.

"Ne ne, you know how to read, right?"

I arched an eyebrow. "You're only asking this now?"

Ciel grinned choosing not to respond but instead wiggled impatiently for me to begin.

"Alright, _Black Beauty_ it is." I cleared my throat before reading aloud.

…

Within seventy-five pages, I could feel the twins starting to slump over me. They were nodding off, sometimes trying to stay awake by sheer will-power, but try as they might, their efforts were vain.

I paused, glancing at both of them, before closing the book, to which both of them cried out in distress. "Wait, you haven't finished yet!"

I snorted. "In this case, I wouldn't have to finish if the both of you ended up falling asleep."

Bocchan tugged on my arm, pleading. "Please, Rachel-san? Will you keep reading? I want to know what happens to Ginger!"

I sighed. "Oh alright, but if I hear even one snore, it's off to bed with the both of you." I kept my voice playful so they knew I was joking, with which their supplied giggling reassured me was the case. My sardonic tone would only end up making it awkward and harder for them to get close to me.

I cracked open the book once more to the page I left my finger on.

…

I felt a hand gently shaking my shoulder and a low, familiar voice saying my name. The voice sing-singed once more and my eyes snapped open, recognizing Undertaker's high-pitched giggling as I jerked awake, only to find the book open on my lap and both twins sleeping on either side of me.

I was frozen for a moment, trying to process the situation before looking at my boss alarmed. "For how long was I asleep?"

Undertaker snickered, hiding a smile behind his sleeve as he ominously replied, "Not for long~"

My brow ticked. "What's that supposed to mean? What are you doing here anyway?" I rubbed my eyes, trying to remove the lethargic haze, but I didn't want to risk waking the twins.

He smirked at me. "Why, to bring you home, of course! Besides, the Earl and I had matters to discuss regarding the possible upcoming case~"

"I see." One of the twins started to stir a bit, and I stopped talking to see if he would wake up, but he resumed dozing away, and I relaxed. Another bout of giggling erupted from the mortician, and I could feel myself getting annoyed. "You know, unless you're here to help me put the twins to bed, you can leave now."

Undertaker chuckled, not even bothering to answer as the sound finally roused the twins from their sleep. From the way we were positioned, Ciel was on my left, leaving bocchan on my right and closest to Undertaker, to which he jumped in surprise after realizing. Of course, said mortician just waved creepily, making the younger twin shy away, burrowing himself deeper into my side.

I glanced at the clock hung on the wall and noted it had only been about an hour. "So, it seems as though my reading skills have lulled you both to sleep. Don't you two have anything else to do? Studies or tutors to meet?"

Master Ciel shook his head matter-of-factly. "Nuh-uh. That's only for the weekdays. You're the only one planned for Saturday!"

"I see." I looked down at the book on my lap. "So I suppose you'd want me to finish reading _Black Beauty_ in that case."

"Yes, please!" They chorused, despite my earlier warning about stopping if they fell asleep.

I hummed out a sigh. "Well, I guess a few more chapters shouldn't hurt."

"Hihi~ My, for a woman of this era, you're quite educated~"

I quirked an eyebrow at Undertaker's direction. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He smiled coyly. "In this day and age, you don't see too many common folks who possess your level of skill in piano playing nor reading."

Ah, that's right. I constantly forgot about the low literacy rate for the common population for those who couldn't afford schooling nor a tutor. Either they were taught by family from knowledge passed down or not at all.

I shrugged. "It's common where I come from that everyone at least possess some skill of reading. It may be because of my love for reading I'm more advanced than my fellow colleagues, but even in my time, it's expected for those in low socioeconomic standing to possess some form of education, no matter how threadbare."

Undertaker tilted his head at that but said nothing more.

With that, I commenced reading.

…

Sometime later, I felt bocchan stir against me before waking up and sitting up. Rubbing his eyes blearily, he took a moment to get his bearings before noticing that I'd stopped reading.

"Oh, did we fall asleep again?"

I hummed. "I did say I'd stop reading if you fell asleep. However, I have bookmarked our place so we can continue reading."

He lit up. "Oh, then why not start now?"

I rose an eyebrow before gesturing to his sleeping counterpart. "What about Master Ciel? Wouldn't that be unfair for him?"

Bocchan blinked before noticing his older brother and wilting. Then he hurriedly got off the couch, excited over something.

"Going somewhere~"

A small yelp erupted as bocchan ran into the Undertaker's legs, and the intimidating height and creepy grin was more than enough to render him completely immobile.

I sighed. "Un, the more you do that, the less favors you're doing for yourself."

He grinned, flexing his hands playfully so his claws seemed like they were going to tickle bocchan although it had the opposite effect. Instead, he dashed out of the room.

I stared dully at the entrance of the room where he left before looking back at Undertaker's pouting face and sarcastically commenting, "Great job."

"Hmph~" He plopped onto the seat next to me, scooting over so he was closer before laying his head on my shoulder and opening his own book.

I twitched, annoyed already at the added weight. "Oy! Get off me!" I tried pushing his head away by shoving him with my shoulder but he only bounced back into place. I sighed. "Un, go find someone else to lean on."

"Hihi! But aren't you my~ apprentice? Shouldn't you be someone for me to rely on?~"

I glared at the top of his head. "Sure, keep telling yourself that. I can only wonder what'll happen to you if I leave." I huffed, opening George Orwell's _1984_ , a copy from my time that was small enough for me to carry around.

He giggled. "But I thought you wanted to be an apprentice~"

I frowned. "This is only temporary."

Undertaker stilled, and I immediately became wary.

 _Did he not like that?_

"For how long, dear?" He was using his serious voice.

I blinked before staring at my book. "I'm not sure, but as I've said before, I don't belong here. Eventually, I'll have to return to my time."

"You don't have to go, you know?"

Startled, my attention snapped back to him to find a solitary green eye staring back at me with timeless patience. "You could just stay here~"

My brow furrowed. "And what would be in it for me?"

He smiled. "A friend and family to care for you~ From the way you behave, you don't have much of those where you come from."

I scoffed. "You don't know anything." I had to be careful not to curse due to a currently dormant child in the vicinity. Yes, PG-13. I specialize in those.

He smirked at me before the bangs shifted to cover his face again and he was looking at his book. Could he even read at that distance?

"By the byyy~ I'm sure the Earl has told you before, but the special event is arriving this Wednesday evening."

 _Special event?_

Apparently, he could read the question on my face and chuckled before responding with a candid, "You'll seeee~"

"Sure."

Just then, Master Ciel stirred, yawning. "Oh, did we finish the book?"

I deadpanned. "If you count sleeping during reading, then no. But I've bookmarked the page so we could continue where we left off."

"Oh, then why not start now?"

I rose an eyebrow before gesturing to his missing counterpart. "What about bocchan? Wouldn't that be unfair for him?"

He blinked before looking sad. "Where did he go?"

I shrugged. "Probably back to your room? You'll have to ask around. My boss over here scared him away." I nodded to him with a smirk.

"Hey~!" Undertaker pouted in my direction.

I shrugged again. "Warned you." I looked back to find Ciel wearing a long face. "Why the long face?"

He looked at me inquisitively. "What?"

I sighed. "Nevermind. I meant, why do you look so sad."

"Oh, well, I don't like being alone."

"Oh, do you?" I tilted my head, finding the best way to word it. "Well, everyone goes through a brief period of loneliness. I mean, even going to the bathroom, you're going to be alone for just a bit. If it helps, just think of it as waiting. You're lucky you even have a twin brother. Most children in the world have to wait a year or more to have a younger sibling. Some just never do."

I heard a snort from Undertaker over my bathroom analogy, but I was more focused on Ciel who had a contemplative look on his face.

"But of course, you can never really trust someone. As my grandfather says, 'you can't even trust your own shadow.' Your own brother applies, too, you know?"

Ciel glared cutely but defensively at me. "He would never do that! He wouldn't ever betray me! We've always been together."

I smirked sadly at him. "We'll see."

Ciel tilted his head, wondering what that vague response meant. He still did look a little hurt from my blunt comment, however."

I snorted in amusement. "But you're too young for that. All I'm saying is that, even though you may grow up together, you can never truly know a person, no matter how close you are. I've seen even the best of friends turn on each other over things such as money, power, fame… But, so long as you two rely on each other, you shouldn't have anything to worry about."

Inwardly, I deadpanned mentally, finding it to be lame advice. Even if they did rely on each other, it didn't mean it would prevent them from turning on each other. Ciel, however, seemed to think differently given the way he was looking at me as though in a new light.

"Hm. You know, you're really smart, Rachel-san." He tilted his head and smiled at me before actually giving me a hug and then running off to the door. "Ok, I'm going to look for my brother now."

"Sure," I replied quietly, which fell on deaf ears save for Undertaker.

I gave the entry door, the last place I saw him, a strange look before turning back to my book. But I didn't start reading yet.

Rather, my thoughts were so focused on the twins that a poke from the Undertaker startled me. "What?"

"Penny for your thoughts?~" he mused, leaning forward with all the eagerness of a puppy. Sometimes, the switched dynamic in our relationship left me more confused than annoyed that I felt it better to not question it.

I slitted an eye at him before looking down at my book. "The twins are pretty different from each other in some ways."

"Oh? Well now, they're still Phantomhives, so they're all the same to me~ Hihihi!"

I glanced at him unimpressed. "Does only the name matter to you?"

He grinned crookedly at me. "My dear," he crooned, slinging an arm around my shoulders as he did so - which I tried my best to shake off, I assure you - to pull me closer, he continued, "regardless of their minute differences, the blood that runs through their veins has much more significance than a few meager traits."

"I rose an eyebrow. "I disagree. Sometimes the traits themselves determine how well someone can utilize their bloodline, no matter how 'special' it is."

He smirked, enjoying the fact that I blatantly opposed his perspective. It seems that not enough people did that nowadays, which is quite a shame.

"Woof!"

A bark. From a dog. My brows furrowed. _Sebastian?_

My eyes were directed to the door to find Ciel with bocchan in tow following a black dog into the library.

So I was right.

"Ne ne, Miss Rachel, do you like dogs?" The twins came up to me, climbing onto the couch, but unlike before, they sat on my left side together, leaving Undertaker on my right all alone.

"Mm, you could say that." I watched as the dog approached me, probably gauging my status as friend or foe. To ease him, I held a hand out, palm up for him to sniff before pulling out a dog treat. He kinda just stared at it but sniffed my hand before licking it.

 _Well, progress at least._

"He likes you!" Ciel grinned at me.

I hummed, still looking at the uneaten treat. "Did either of you want to give this to him?"

They looked at each other before nodding and taking it from my hand. Of course, the elder brother fed it to Sebastian. From what I remember, bocchan wasn't especially fond of Sebastian, especially since he had a thing about the nose-bumping, but that was his problem, I guess.

I looked back at the dog before holding out a hand, slowly approaching its ears to scratch them. Considering there was no move on his part to attack, I considered that a victory.

"Ah, there you two are. I've been looking for you." Earl Phantomhive stood at the doorway, giving us all a bemused look.

I wasn't sure which two he was referring to, so I ignored him in favor of the doggo.

"Father! Come, look! Rachel-san was reading _Black Beauty_ to us! It's such an interesting story!"

"Yeah, I don't like how they treat the horses on the carriage!"

"Father, can we make sure not to hurt them anymore?"

Vincent looked completely overwhelmed with all the information that I had to seal my lips to not let any laugh escape from me. But then, from the corner of my eye, I noticed Undertaker watching me eagerly with a giant grin, as if expecting me to let loose any minute. At that minute, all humor was drained from my being and I was annoyed again.

I stood up to cue my leave.

"Rachel-san?"

I looked down at the twins before looking back at the Earl to explain. "I have another meeting to attend to concerning my associate."

Vincent blinked, not expecting the abrupt topic switch. "Oh, I see. Well, I do appreciate the time you spent entertaining my boys. They do tend to get mischievous when they're bored, after all." He gave me a jovial smile.

"I didn't mind at all. We still do have to finish reading that book after all. Well, until next Saturday, I suppose." A chorus of aww's were all I heard, but they both came towards me, one on each side to say their goodbyes.

"Until next time, Rachel-san!" "Yeah, until next time~"

I spared them a small smile, patting each of their heads before looking back at Undertaker to see if he had anything to say.

"Hihi~ You know where to find me, m'dear~ Tata, for now~" He waved creepily at me, to which I deadpanned at before taking my leave.

I wouldn't need a carriage where I was going.

…  
 _(Present)_  
 _Undertaker's shop - 2 a.m._

I looked up at the sign in all its dull, morose glory. That poor thing needed a cleaning if I ever saw one.

I pushed open the door, hearing the bell ring my announcement and found Undertaker at his desk with hands steepled in front of his face, as if waiting for me. "Well?~ How was it?"

I deadpanned, pausing at the door before resuming with doffing my coat. "It's fine. There wasn't as much demon activity here while I was gone, right?"

He smirked. "Nothing of note exceeeeept…~"

I rose an eyebrow at him, taking a seat at my own "desk". He glided to my work area effortlessly, acting as though he had some great big secret to tell me. "What?" I asked impatiently.

His smile widened. "There have been fewer activities here as of late… shouldn't that seem suspicious to you?"

"What? You mean that bigger badder enemies are gonna come knocking on my door? Why do you think I've resumed practicing with Zero?"

He tilted his head as if waiting for me to get to the point.

I glared. "But of course, that means finding a more powerful opponent to practice with."

He nodded vigorously.

"And I'm guessing that means you volunteer."

Another vigorous head bob. I was surprised that his hat hadn't fallen off yet.

I sighed. Great, at least that's one problem solved.

"I'm rather curious, however~" His chin started digging into my shoulder. I was beginning to believe this was his version of begging when he wanted something. Whether this was used only on me or not was too early to tell.

"And that is?"

"The way you looked at the little Phantomhive earlier~… methinks you had a sibling at some point, ne~"

My brows furrowed. "You can say that," I said.

"But you've never talked about her before~"

I gave him a side-glance, wondering what he was up to. "I don't talk about a lot of people, especially if it has nothing to do with you."

He tilted his head innocently as if to ask what he'd been accused of.

I shook my head. "It's nothing to do with you. It's just that what's my business shouldn't bother you."

He smiled patiently. Again, that stupid smile. "You know, it would make me a terrible boss to not care about my apprentice's problems~"

I stared blandly at him. "And it would make me a terrible person for relying on you to solve my problems."

"Hihihi, are you always this disagreeable?"

Honestly, my being difficult was supposed to piss /him/ off, not the other way around. _However_ , it seemed that my stubbornness only amused him. And currently, my stink-eye had no effect on him whatsoever. Just wonderful.

"Hmph, my reasons are my own. I don't need you to dissect them for me."

His nail poked my side, or more like jabbed, making me yelp. I rubbed the sore spot, giving him the _what the fuck was that for_ look. He only smirked. "You can only be resilient for so long, my dear~"

I scoffed. "Try me. No one can break me, not unless I allow it." I jabbed him back in the side with my elbow, making him laugh even more. "Oh, piss off already!"

"You are simply too delightful!" He cackled, hugging me despite me pushing against his chest.

He got quiet again, waiting for me to cool off, most likely, before inquiring about my visit to Madame Red's house.

"Oh, that? Well, all we really did was just braid each other's hair." I paused before cringing at that stupid cliche of girls braiding each other's hairs. Yuck.

"Hmm, that couldn't be all, though~"

I glanced in his direction but not directly at him. "Well, we did discuss about my special case…"

"Oh, and what did she have to say about it?"

I paused. "Well, she thinks that I shouldn't be afraid of acting out my own desires."

He grinned. "And what do you think?"

Was he trying to make me second-guess myself. "Well, until that time comes, I don't really see why I ought to. And if it's not meant to change, wouldn't it be worse if I did."

"Well, you never know, love~ See, life's funny that way. You never know what you get til you try it~"

I looked at him, unsure of how that type of philosophy helped anyone, but I guess its his own way of saying "do it because you want to, not because you have to".

"Well, we'll see." I rested my chin on my hand as he hummed some nondescript tune before I perked. "Ah, by the way, Madame Red wanted me to learn two hairstyles the next time I see her, so I'm gonna have to practice."

He hummed, smiling at me like he knew what I was going to ask. I frowned at the thought, but I decided to ask anyway.

"Would you mind?"

He stopped humming. He stopped doing anything, really, then pretended to think really hard about it. "Hmmmm~ Well, there's no harm in it, I suppose."

"Alright, great. Turn around."

He giggled before sitting so that his back faced me. "What kind of braids have you learned thus far?"

My mind sputtered on that one word he used: thus. "Sheesh, you talk like an old man."

He pouted. "Do not."

"Speak for yourself. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, might as well be a duck." I heard some more giggling at the odd analogy, but I paid it no mind as I gathered his silvery strands to prepare it for braiding.

Honestly, his hair didn't even need combing because of how easy it was to thread through them with my fingers. But the technique was what I needed to learn, so I'll focus on the hair thickness later.

A few minutes later, I was still improving the French braid. Undertaker's input bordered between useful and annoying, a great spectrum to explain our relationship, by the way, but nonetheless, some progress at least was made.

I stepped back to "admire" my handiwork complete with Undertaker's bothersome but effective commentary. My triceps were literally burning, but I had actually managed to finish French twin braids. And of course, Undertaker was a million watt lightbulb.

"I ought to walk around like this more often~"

A snort escaped me before I could stop it. "Uh, how about not?"

He giggled in his throat. "Why not?~"

"Um, because, for one, I worry about your mental sanity. Two, it won't just be me worried about your mental sanity. Plus, it just wouldn't look good on you in terms of reputation."

"As if I care about that~"

"Certainly not," I agreed. Then I looked at the time. "I was supposed to be asleep, and now it's 4 in the morning."

He smirked. "Worry not, for it is a Sunday~ Not much business to be expected, so we can sleep in~"

I looked at him tiredly and then shrugged. "Alright, I'll take your word for it. In that case, ciao."

A hand grabbed my wrist before I even got two feet away from him and pulled me in for a hug.

"Dude, what the heck?"

The chest under my cheek vibrated when he chuckled. "You haven't given me a hug yet~"

I deadpanned, saying nothing. The hugging still felt awkward, but not in a intrusive way. Just odd being touched in general. After a few moments of silence, I cleared my throat and pulled away. "Okay, in that case, I'll go sleep now."

His arms were back in that doggy position (I honestly don't know what to call it, so that's what it'll be from now on, sue me) but he waved. "Hihi, very well dear, sleep well~"

"Sure, you too." I shook my head before going up to my room. I had no idea what to expect from him day to day, but the Evil Noblemen were going to meet this upcoming Wednesday.

Well, I'll just have to take things as they come. No point in rushing.

I looked out the window next to my bed. The moonlight gave decent lighting in the room that I didn't need a candle, thankfully, but that wasn't even the least of my worries.

So long as _she_ didn't get here, that's all I cared about. She shouldn't be able to. She can't.

I shuddered.

10/31/19


	22. Chapter 21

A/N: Chapter's a day late, my huge apologies, but I only had 1k more words to go. This chapter ended up being about 5.1k? Anyhow, still polishing the Future AU, but it is coming out this week. And it'll most likely be 10k words. Maybe. Hope that doesn't put off some readers, but oh well. Anyhow, I left the ending as a bit of a cliffhanger and you'll see as you get to the end, but it will get resolved next chapter. Promise.

Otherwise, I don't have much else to note besides a bit of German language. Hopefully it's used correctly, but if not, I'll gladly take grammar corrections. Either way, a huge thanks for everyone who waited this long and stuck with me on this journey. I appreciate it very much.

Onto the reviews:

KohanaHitachiin: Thanks so much for the input, I appreciate it, and as a UT fan, I do hope to end it with UT as well, but it's too early in the story to tell. You never know, lol, but I will keep it in mind to allow their dynamic to rival against Seb/Rachel. It'll be interesting to see who votes for who, but in the meantime, stay tuned! Thanks again for the review and I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroshitsuji nor will I ever. Everything read not included in the manga are my ideas and characters alone unless mentioned otherwise.

Chapter 21 Rachel's POV (1st)  
 _August 30, 1885 - Sunday_  
Undertaker was lazing about, complaining about having nothing to do, which was odd despite the fact that we had a _major big case_ coming around. As of now, he was lying on his desk, munching on a biscuit forlornly while I sat at my desk.

Eventually, I had enough and reached into my bag to pull out my laptop. Apparently, me pulling out a "brand new electronic" was more than enough to grab his attention if the sound of his tush landing onto my seat next to me was any indication.

"Whatcha doin~"

"Something besides lazing about," I retorted dryly.

He only pouted before laying his head on my shoulder and watching me pull up my music playlist before hitting play. Then I just sat back and relaxed.

He looked mildly puzzled, but went along with it. Some lo-fi songs were streaming, and eventually I was tapping my feet to the tune, occasionally humming. I sensed Undertaker getting up and going into the kitchen before coming back holding two cups of tea and a saucer of biscuits, food, and whatever else.

I cracked open an eyelid to snatch a cookie and stick it in my mouth before resuming my relaxation. However, the heavy weight of his stare was a mild nuisance, especially since I knew he could feel that I was a bit off.

"You're more restless than usual, dear~"

I hummed. "I guess…"

"Why is that, I wonder?~"

I stayed silent for a while before chancing a glance at him to find him smiling patiently at me. I squinted an eye at him before looking back at the laptop, hearing an amused chuckle. He was letting me take my time, at least.

"… Have you ever regretted something in your life? Or wanted to change something you did in the past?" I finally asked, the suspension already getting to me.

He tilted his head at me before replying, "Now, where is this coming from~"

I looked back to find a small smile on his face. Then I noticed that he was gauging my mental status if the glimpses of green behind his bangs were supposed to mean anything.

I looked away again. I could feel it coming, that overbearing guilt crushing my soul. It was on the horizon, but it wasn't here yet.

"Just… is there something you've done that… you'd rather it never happen, or prevent it from happening."

Undertaker's silence was pretty unsettling, and for him to be quiet for that long wasn't necessarily bad or good. It did tell me, however, that he knew exactly what I was… would be going through in a few days.

Then to my utter surprise, he wrapped an arm around my shoulders before pulling me into a side hug. Of course, I didn't reciprocate any of it considering I was still trying to figure out what he was up to.

But I didn't look up either.

If it was from fear or nervousness, I couldn't tell, but I didn't want to know the look on his face yet.

"Love, are you asking me or yourself?"

I shrugged. His silence, though, told me he wasn't going to take that for an answer. "I guess both…"

He hummed a sigh, contemplating my meaning. "Some things do happen for a reason, as you well know~ But some things must happen in order for us to grow."

I looked up at him, slightly concerned. "Even if it requires the sacrifices of others?"

He smiled gently. "Perhaps."

"But what justifies it? Why should they suffer it?"

"Hm~, one of many questions I'd like to ask if there is such a thing as God~"

I frowned, flicking his fingers away to let go of my shoulder. "Simple logic. For creation to have a design, it must have a Creator."

"And who decided that?~"

"Who else would? Why would we require such a thing as 10 fingers or ten toes? Why is there such a thing as beauty? Or ugliness? Or what about the overall appearance? Why is there a certain standard to how humans look?" I shrugged, but his grin told me I'd made my point.

"And say there is a God…~"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "So what?"

"Wouldn't He be to blame for all this guilt?"

I blinked, confused. He was pinning this on God? Why?

"What would I have to gain from doing that?"

"Well, certainly, if God is so great, wouldn't He have just prevented it from happening?"

"But weren't you the one to say that 'things happen for a reason in order for us to grow'?"

He started smirking and it took me a minute of reigning in my self-control to not slap him to realize that I'd just answered my own question.

My face blanked and I frowned before looking forward again, crossing my arms.

"Ara~ You're pouting, dear~"

I scoffed. I, then, sensed a presence outside the door which was odd considering Undertaker had closed shop for today in order for us to relax. I looked at him oddly and he only smiled.

"Why don't you go ahead and make some tea?~ I'm sure this won't take long~"

I gave him an odd look but shrugged and went to the kitchen anyway. As I reached into the cupboards, I could hear the conversation but didn't particularly take note of it until the unwelcome guest's voice rose.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!"

Eyebrow quirked, I briskly walked back into the foyer to find a burly man confronting Undertaker so much as to even grab him by the front of his clothes and attempt to intimidate him.

Of course, Undertaker being nonplussed, simply smiled insanely, probably amused that he even tried.

However, as per my job description, I intervened.

Faster than the intruder could blink, I had his arm wrenched behind his back before fully disabling his motion by shoving him up against the door. Then, as a warning, I proceeded to almost break his arm as a warning to which he cried out.

"Please refrain from touching my Master. All and any manner of action perceived as violence to my Master will require force. Do I make myself clear?"

"Who the hell do you think you are, wench?! Let go of me! I'll have the police arrest you!" He squirmed under my hold, resulting in me twisting his arm even more, to the point that I could simply break the bone easily if I needed to.

My chin lifted as I looked down at him, lowering my voice. "I said, _do I make myself clear_?"

He whimpered as he felt the twist threatening to crush his bone before relenting pathetically. "Alright, alright, whatever you want! Just get this wench off me!"

"Wonderful. Then have a great rest of the day, sir." Acknowledging his concession of defeat, I then promptly shove him out the door. The presence lingered but went away not long after, no longer making him a threat. After the door swinged shut, I turned to Undertaker who'd kept a sleeve to his mouth. "What?"

"Did you really have to take it that far?~"

I rose an eyebrow. "You hired me to protect you, didn't you?"

He tilted his head in agreement.

"Then that's what I'll do." I brushed passed him to the kitchen to finish brewing the tea. I didn't want to oversteep them too long or the flavor would be ruined.

After removing the bags, I then brought the container of honey and sugar onto a tray before walking back to the foyer to find he was still standing in the same spot. I quirked an eyebrow but went to my desk, placing two beakers of tea plus the containers of sugar and honey.

As per our daily ritual, he'd have a "lunch break" with me around this time, bringing a jar of those bone cookies of his and we'd chat. Sometimes it would be philosophical, other times he would tease me for a reaction, and - depending on my mood and/or patience - was either successful or not, or we'd sit in comfortable silence, sometimes listening to music.

Undertaker expressed boundless fascination for my time period to a degree that I couldn't even understand. Just the people themselves turned me off, but remove them from the equation, and the advancements in technology, medicine, etc. made it appealing enough to the outside stranger.

I frowned, looking down at my tea. _If only they knew._ I looked back up before deadpanning.

Undertaker was _still_ staring at me from the same spot.

"Are you going to just stand there or not?" I snapped, already riled up from his unusual quietness.

Only a soft giggle gave me any indication that he heard me before grabbing his jar and setting his rump next to mine at my desk. He still held the sleeve up to his mouth, likely trying to contain any laughter as he observed me placing a cup of tea before him before grabbing my own and moving the sugar saucer closer to him.

Disdainfully, I watched him grab lumps of sugar with his hands before dumping them into his cup. I curled my nose in disgust but said nothing otherwise, only taking a cookie to nibble on.

"You know, I've not seen you smile once~ Not since the beginning of this month~"

I looked to him, confused. "And why would that be any of your concern?"

He pouted at me, acting as though it were obvious. "Surely, you understand the importance of happiness?~"

An eyebrow arched. "What's that have to do with me smiling? I can be happy without having to express it. For example, you leaving me alone makes me quite happy." I snobbishly sipped my tea, hearing him in whine in offense.

"That doesn't count~!"

I snorted. "That's not for you to decide."

"Hm, then perhaps I shall try my hand at making you laugh~" He grinned, leaning forward and rubbing his hands.

I only cringed inwardly, knowing that it could possibly be a lot of terrible dad jokes or whatnot.

He grinned sharply. "Here's one~ What kind of personality did the dead man have?"

I stayed silent, hoping that my blank face would give him a clue to stop while he still can.

"He gave you the cold shoulder~" He waited, and when I gave no reaction, he continued.

"How about the time a skeleton dropped out of medical school?"

Nothing.

"He just didn't have the stomach for it!" He slapped his knee and guffawed, but I made no comment. But that didn't stop him.

"What happened to the skeleton who stayed by the fire for too long? He became bone dry!~"

"Wanna know why graveyards are so noisy? Because of all the coffin~ Bwa ha hahaha~"

"What about the skeleton who couldn't dance? He had no body to dance with!~"

He was wheezing by the time he finished, having nudged my side enough that I had scooted away, calmly sipping my tea as he collected himself. When he noticed that I hadn't even cracked a smile, he pouted mightily. "Ellie-san~ Why am I the only one laughing!~"

"Probably cuz your jokes suck."

"Hmph~ Perhaps leaving you alone ought to do the trick~"

I rolled my eyes. "How could you tell?"

He only smirked. "You'll see."

…

 _August 31, 1885 - Monday_  
When I came down from my bedroom, I was surprised to be greeted with silence. I scanned the area, even trying to sense for presences besides the ones outside, but nothing.

Then I checked my desk for any clues or letters, and seeing none, went to his next. Still nothing.

My brows furrowed. _Perhaps he had an errand to do._

It wasn't uncommon for Undertaker to go out and do a funeral without me or fetch supplies. Sometimes it took him the whole day or even two, but he always left a note.

 _Perhaps he was in a rush._

That made sense in my mind and I shrugged before sitting at my desk. I could always have breakfast anytime. It's not like I needed food. I'll just save some for Undertaker.

…

 _September 1, 1885 - Tuesday_  
Still no sign of him.

Yesterday had been pretty uneventful. All that happened was that I took care of all the paperwork. Some customers had come in to purchase a coffin, give the corpse's measurements, and then leave. Other times, I simply cleaned up the shop. When I had nothing else to do, I finished up cleaning the guests, stitching, then dressing them for their final day. Their funerals wouldn't be until the next week or so, so I had nothing to worry about.

Nothing except Undertaker. _Where was he?_

I looked around. Same as yesterday, there was no sign that he came back nor a telegram or letter to explain his absence.

I had felt a little pang in my chest, but dismissed it. This was his shop, so he had to come back eventually. The thought comforted me enough to dismiss my doubt that he would abandon me. Besides, he still had his job as the Evil Noblemen, otherwise the Earl would've said something, too.

I paused in my stitching, looking down at the corpse. "That's just it. He's just taking his time." I sighed. "Moron, give me a warning at least."

I shook my head and continued stitching.

…

 _September 2, 1885 - Wednesday_  
 _Evening_  
I only had a couple hours until the meeting with the Evil Noblemen. I had no idea how to call the event, but I had informed Zero to meet me an hour before.

What eluded me still was the lack of Undertaker's presence. He still hadn't shown up, and I had half the mind to inform the earl and ask for his whereabouts. However, seeing that I would be meeting him tonight, I decided to simply be patient.

Undertaker could take care of himself, so there shouldn't be any problems. At least, that's what I hoped.

The little bell to the shop ringed as the door opened, signaling the arrival of someone. My hopes soared only to find Zero.

"Hey, you ready? Oh, where's your boss?"

I shrugged, a bit annoyed at myself for expecting to see Undertaker. "Beats me. He left three days ago and hasn't said anything."

"Not even a letter? Or a sign? Heads up?"

I shook my head.

"Uh, shouldn't you report this to the police? It's been more than twenty-four hours, mate."

"But it's not unusual for him to take a couple days to run some errands or collect some supplies. He's done it before."

"But he warned you ahead of time, didn't he?"

"Well, yeah, but that was when I was still recovering. I'm pretty sure he doesn't need to tell me everything he does. He's an adult, for Christ's sake."

He gave me a strange look. "Well, yeah, I agree, but still, it's strange - and rude - to not warn you ahead of time."

I shrugged again. "Maybe he was in a rush?"

Then he shrugged. "You tell me. Did it seem like it the day before he left."

I stayed silent, reviewing the few moments before I had retired to bed three days before. "Not really."

Zero tilted his head. "What did you talk about on that day?"

My eyebrow arched. "What does that have to do with anything?"

He shrugged helplessly. "I dunno. Maybe something you said triggered it. Or maybe you pissed him off? Who knows?"

I snorted. "Undertaker? Mad? Sure, not in a million years."

He deadpanned. "C'mon. Humor me."

I rolled my eyes. "Fine. We were just having our usual lunch break, some guy tried threatening Undertaker, dealt with the dumbass and threw him out, then he tried sharing a buncha terrible jokes - and no, don't ask, I'm not gonna waste brain space remembering that shit - to make me smile or whatever, then I joked about me being happy if he left me alone. And that's it."

He rose an eyebrow. "Specifically in that order?"

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Hey, just making sure. But, if you think about it, maybe it's that last part."

"What last part?"

"About you being happy if he left you alone."

 _What? No way._ I wanted to doubt Zero. "There's no way he's that petty. I mean sure, he acts like a kid a lot of the time, but it can't be over that."

He shrugged sympathetically. "Maybe, maybe not. Maybe he's testing you. Who knows?"

A range of emotions swept over me, first disappointment, doubt, then anger. Red, hot anger. Who did this guy think he is to try and play with my feelings?

I struggled for a bit to rein it in.

 _No, unless if he explicitly states it himself, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt._

I shook my head. "There has to be a plausible reason."

"If you say so." The look on Zero's face said otherwise.

A seed of doubt was embedded, however. I may not know Undertaker, but perhaps this "joke" of his will really test how much of him I truly do understand.

Outside, I could hear a carriage pulling up, signaling the arrival of our ride.

I glanced at Zero. "C'mon, let's go. We can't be late."

He nodded. "Right behind you."

…

We arrived at the Earl's manor once again, but this time was different. I somehow had the feeling that Undertaker would be here. I don't know how.

The anticipation was brewing in my stomach ever since we left, leaving the ride silent and tense, but my associate wasn't bothered. It wasn't the first time he'd dealt with my stress, nor would it be the last.

The door opened, and with the help of the footman, led us both out. I had Zero dressed into more formal clothes and under strict orders to behave normally. I, on the other hand, simply wore my usual uniform Undertaker had tailored for me: knee-high boots and the usual dress. I didn't expect to get any fights, and hopefully, the occasion would remain civil enough for that.

A servant led us to the room where I could sense other presences, including Undertaker's.

 _Surprise, surprise._

"Earl Phantomhive and his guests have been waiting for you and are currently playing pool as of now. You are welcome to join them at your leisure."

I nodded to him and he opened the door, catching the attention of eight occupants in the room. Vincent, of course, with his charisma and quick thinking, saved us the awkwardness by taking initiative.

"Ah, Miss Rose and her associate, Zero. We've been expecting you. The ride wasn't too uncomfortable, I hope?"

"It's fine." I located Undertaker as soon as I entered, leaving us in a sort of impasse of stares, but I broke it to glance at the Earl out of respect. "I have no issue with it besides my boss, over there. I was hoping to have a quick chat with him over his unforetold three-day absence."

The way I was glaring at him again must've made him sweatdrop as he laughed in good humor. "Of course, of course, after we introduce you to everyone, that is." He smiled at me, indicating that I had no room for argument.

I sighed, a bit annoyed. "Sure, whatever you need."

He beamed. "Excellent. For instance, this gentlemen has been quite eager to make your acquaintance. Klaus, here's the infamous apprentice I've told you about." He gestured to the handsome, middle-aged gentleman with his hair tied back in a low pony tail. He was getting into his years, but his personality could make one think otherwise.

"Ah, Vincent, long time no see. And this must be Miss Rose, apprentice to the Undertaker. Interesting occupation, I must say. _Guten amen, Fraulein_." _Good evening, miss._ He took my hand in his before bowing and kissing it.

I blinked but curtsied. " _Guten amen, mein Herr_."

His lips parted in shock before exclaiming in joy, "Ah! You speak German! _Wunderbar_! Are you of German blood?" He let go of my hand for which I was grateful for.

I straightened. " _Nein_ , I've simply learned through sources."

"Interesting. Quite the intellect to match a beautiful lady. I must say, Herr Undertaker, quite the catch!"

My brow ticked, but I gave no indication of my annoyance, especially since the culprit was standing right in front of me with his big fat grin.

"Hihi, oh, yes, indeed. My apprentice is quite reliant, wouldn't you say, Earl?"

Said noble smiled. "Quite. Her associate is just as unique. Remember the case we had just solved? Well, it seems he pulled enough strings to garner the attention of his superior and some unlikely officials as well." He smirked at Zero with playful reprimand.

Zero only smiled, laughing nervously, "Heh, well, what can I say? Desperate times call for desperate measures. After all, it did help you solve the missing suitors, no?"

Klaus smirked. "Quite bold of you to say, young man. Not many have the guts to defend their crime."

The three dissolved into their own conversation leaving me alone with the Undertaker.

With his absence in the forefront of my mind, I decided now was a better time as any to confront him. "So, have anything to say about leaving so abruptly?"

Undertaker smirked. "Ara~ Did my underling miss me~" His condescending tone discouraged me to be less than cooperative.

I quirked an eyebrow. "Why would I? You own the mortuary, therefore you are bound to return your work. My worry is incessant and would only impede my work."

His smile seemed to have gotten colder the longer I spoke, and I had the gut feeling that my answer wasn't what he wanted.

"Oh? Then I expect that my assistant wasn't slacking in her duties and the shop is in tip-top shape~" He pat my head, but it wasn't the same.

I blinked at his condescending tone, even the way he pet me seemed far more taunting. Almost like I was a servant at his beck and call. A brow furrowed. "Yes…"

His smile thinned. "Wonderful~ Then I suppose I shouldn't have to hold your hand when you meet your new coworkers then~" Then he briskly walked off to join the Earl and the others who'd commenced their pool game once more.

Meanwhile, I stood there in shocked silence, not expecting that comment to hurt as much as it did. It didn't offend me, but it didn't mean it didn't hurt any less the way he'd treated me as though I were an obstacle to remove.

"Did you piss off your boss? I've never seen him treat you so brusquely before." He was looking in his general direction weirdly.

I glanced at Zero and then back to Undertaker who struck up a conversation with the Earl. "My thoughts exactly."

My heart plummeted. It seemed that this meeting would take forever.

…

I had already met with all of the occupants in the room, and each one I took special note of. I was sometimes met with indifference or no interest at all which didn't bother me in the slightest. Being understimated was sometimes better than being put on a pedestal. At least, in my defense.

Currently, I was thinking to myself, observing the pool game. Vincent and Diedrich waited their turns as they sat in their chairs conversing with Undertaker tagging along, and everyone else got into their own little groups. I simply stayed by my lonesome, thinking over Undertaker's last few words with me since we'd parted.

I crossed my arms, leaning against the wall. I exhausted all my thoughts on why he was now giving me the cold shoulder. Maybe it was something that I said three days ago that pissed him off. Maybe he wanted me to miss him. Or maybe he was just messing with me.

I frowned even more. Any one of those could apply, especially with someone as eccentric as Undertaker.

As I was thinking, I felt a presence sneak up on me, and someone who was carrying something. And that something was likely a camera. Before the flash could go off, I grabbed his hat and covered my face before lowering it to glare at the idiot who attempted to capture my image.

"Aww, that would've made a great shot!~" He pouted as he looked at the camera as if blaming it for giving him away.

Ah, so it was the guy called Pit. I rose an eyebrow at him. "Besides the fact that it's rude to take someone's photo without their consent, _I_ don't like having photos of myself being taken."

"Oh, come on, live a little! Everyone's gotta leave their mark one way or another!" His tongue peeked out of his mouth as he concentrated on focusing the lens of his camera.

I simply deadpanned and repeated myself. "I don't like having photos of myself being taken."

He pouted, seeing that I wouldn't budge before shrugging. "Oh well, t'was worth a shot. It's just that the expressions on your face aren't something you see commonly on a woman in this day age~"

I quirked an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He grinned before using a shoulder to gesture at Vincent's German Dog, aka Diedrich, as a clue. "Well, according to him, you seemed to be in a bad mood, but you make quite frightening faces that it deterred him from checking up on you. Said something about not wanting to deal with you getting all mad at him or something~"

My brow furrowed as I looked back at Diedrich only to find that he was looking at us, but when he noticed me staring at him questioningly, his head quickly snapped to the side, embarrassed.

"Ok, thanks for the input."

"No problem!~" With that, he jauntily made his way back to the pool table since it was his turn to sink a ball.

Seeing as to how Diedrich seemed too intimidated to approach me, I didn't push it. To be perfectly honest, I wouldn't to leave as soon as possible, not that that was any better. I'd be going back to the mortuary with a somewhat pissed off boss giving me the cold shoulder.

I sighed, closing my eyes. Maybe I should just stay with Zero. That would be way easier. The only downside being that I'd look like a coward.

It still bothered me that Undertaker could have such an effect on me. I'd only known him for little over a month, and for him to have so much sway over my emotions disturbed me.

He had to have a reason for this. If it were any other person who disappeared for three days, I wouldn't have thought twice about it. As eccentric as he could be, he always had methods to his madness anytime he wanted something.

He had wanted to see me smile. But he also wanted me to miss him. Why? What was so significant about him that I'd have to care enough to give a damn about what he does in relation to me or have to smile for him? Maybe he was just bored and didn't like that I wasn't playing along.

My thoughts were suddenly interrupted at someone loudly scoffing. "A woman? Play the piano?! And Beethoven, no less?! Hah, your eyes must deceive you! There's absolutely no such thing!"

I looked to see who felt the need to be so loud and determined it to be Scarface. If he intentionally said it out loud to taunt me or was just surprised was beyond me, but seeing Vincent smirking in the group led me to believe the former was more likely.

As if on cue, Vincent caught my eye. "Ah, Miss Rose, it seems our conversation caught your attention."

 _Yeah, no shit._

"Have you any thoughts to counter this gentleman's opinion?" He tilted his head, a sly smirk on his face.

I spared him a glance before looking at Scarface, noting the smug air around him and how he looked down on me. Then shrugged. "I needn't say anything. He's welcome to his own opinion. However, if you had a piano, I'd be more than willing to demonstrate."

The Earl looked absolutely delighted at the idea and was more than willing to relocate everyone to the closest music room which was where I found myself seated at a piano.

Scarface intentionally positioned himself behind me, intending to intimidate me with his closeness and his glare, but if it truly took that much to shake me, I'd shame the name of assassin.

I lifted the cover to expose the ivory keys, scanning my mental library of piano pieces before settling on one of the hardest pieces composed by Beethoven: Pathetique.

 _[Grave]_ The piece began with heavy but slow chords, and I took my time, embellishing the form with momentary silence. By the second row, I'd already blocked out my audience and it was just the piano and me.

[ _Allegro di molto e con brio]_ Then, came the fun part. After ending the first part with a chromatic scale, most professional musicians loved speeding through part B. Of course, I decided to partake in the fun, even going so far as to repeat the section a second time before reaching the third part.

 _Grave [Tempo 1]_ Like the beginning, but an interlude to the fourth part and much more brief.

 _[Allegro molto e con brio]_ Much like the first one, but this time, it had two separate sections and relied on heavy endurance from practice and skill. But thankfully, no repeat.

 _[Grave]_ A second interlude.

 _[Allegro molto e con brio]_ Then, the finishing act. First starting off soft and deceivingly slow before finishing with abrupt, loud chords. No _ritard_.

I opened my eyes and looked back to find Scarface's mouth ajar before shutting it with an audible snap and turning away.

I was greeted with polite clapping and I received it with a bow before finding my way to Undertaker who was standing next to Vincent. Unfortunately, I didn't find myself in the mood to deal with his cold shoulder, so instead, I ignored him and informed Vincent instead. "I'll get going now. There's unfinished work at the mortuary, and it won't get done if no one's there." The shade towards my boss made his grin sharpen a bit since it was kind of a jab for simply leaving all his work to me, but Vincent took it good-naturedly.

"You make a solid point, Miss Rose. Very well, you're excused. Next time we meet, we'll discuss the plan we have in store for the Queen's case for you."

I nodded before finding Zero's gaze and nodding towards the door. _Let's go._

He nodded and bid goodbye to his newfound friends before joining my. "Earl, as always, it's a pleasure. Hopefully, we can do this soon again."

Vincent chuckled and waved good-bye. "You can count on it, good sir."

With that, we were stuffed in the carriage, Zero, Undertaker, and I, and on our merry way to the mortuary.

Whatever Undertaker had to say would have to wait, and believe me, I had my fair share to spill. He was definitely in for it.

Nobody got away with messing with my feelings.

Nobody.

A/N: So, the list of puns came from this lovely website: jokes/kids/halloween-jokes-for-kids/skeleton-puns/

And for the piano piece, I highly suggest listening to Daniel Barenboim's performance of the piece. It's absolutely well done.

11/30/19


	23. Chapter 22

A/N: So, huge apology for this chapter being a week late. I didn't foresee my family visiting over to delay me that much, but it's still my fault for procrastinating. That and trying to finish this and the 15k special. That one's still coming out, just decided to finish this up to get back on it. Anyhow, I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas/holiday/New Years and good luck for the school season starting up. Hopefully, for the new year, we can still keep this up, lol!

Just a special sidenote, towards the end of the chapter, I ended up using a playthrough from a YouTuber as a reference to help relay Rachel's reactions otherwise it'd get confusing, but I'm sure it's obvious what game it is.

Onto the reviews:

bunnyxstar: Glad you're still enjoying it! I hope the substance doesn't dwindle in the near future, but I'm glad for the feedback. Hopefully this chapter produces the same results.

loveshit: Thank you for dropping a review! Sorry for the long wait, but I'm glad to see you're enjoying the story! Let me know if there's any concerns for me to fix in the story, but otherwise, enjoy this next chapter!

Guest: Thank you very much! Hope to keep the content coming! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroshitsuji nor will I ever. Everything read not included in the manga are my ideas and characters alone unless mentioned otherwise.

Chapter 22 Rachel's POV (1st)  
 _September 5, 1885 - Saturday_  
We didn't talk. For three days.

But how does that work, you might ask. Well, allow me to explain it to you.

For the past three days that we didn't "talk", I meant that we pretty much ignored each other.

Were we aware of each other? Oh yes, very much so. So much so that we both knew we were ignoring each other. The intimacy of that separation only reinforced the distance between us, and whether it was my pride or Undertaker's challenge to maintain this coldness between us, I don't know. What I do know, however, is that it's his fault.

I put it in my head to not speak to him until he apologized. Unfortunately, the three days between us proved he didn't think so. Or, that he knew I wanted an apology and wanted me to do something about it first.

Well, either way, he could go fuck himself.

 _Well, why not just leave?_ You're right. Why not?

Well, the only issue would be that I would lose, and I would become the coward. Not that this in itself wasn't petty, but between Undertaker and I? Me not leaving meant I was still in the game, and me not talking to him meant I wasn't going to put up with his bullshit.

See, the only issue about pride is that it makes you selfish. Self-centered. Incredibly vulnerable and indestructible at the same time. The fact that you could build your own walls and yet crumble within them was such a scary truth.

Was he trying to make a point over all this? Maybe. Could he have stopped this? Oh, without a doubt.

He was waiting. Whether for me or something else, he was waiting. And to this day, I don't know what for. And I'll likely not know until we got back to the mortuary.

As of now, we were stuck in a carriage with Earl Phantomhive, on our way to the Phantomhive manor for me to give piano lessons and probably discuss the plans for the upcoming case. Apparently, I would be playing a major role as the Queen personally wanted me invested in the investigation. This time, a missing person's case, but we'll get into that at a later date.

For now, we were stuck in a hour long drive with me actively ignoring my boss who was also actively ignoring me.

The Earl, bless his sweet heart, had attempted to get us to patch up by making some easy conversation, but after a curt answer from me and a too-wide smile from Undertaker, he quickly dropped the subject. As of now, the carriage was drenched in a terse atmosphere, and while we all wore excellent poker faces, none of us could deny that we were somewhat affected by it.

The Earl was politely confused by it all, probably expecting us to have made up quickly with my especially quick temper and Undertaker's easy-going nature and our shared ability to get over it and move on quickly… seems that wouldn't be on the agenda for a while now.

Currently, I was looking out the window and training my gaze on certain landmarks. Out of my peripheral, I could just barely make out Undertaker's figure near the window opposite mine and the Earl right across from us, giving us patient but amused glances as though he were a parent trying to guide rivaling siblings to a peace offering.

I huffed. _Not happening anytime soon._

Of course, to the Earl's credit, he didn't give up trying. Rather, he decided to tackle the problem little by little… that is to say, talk to us one-on-one.

Fortunately, Vincent chose the easier route and decided to tackle the Undertaker first. Probably because they were also closer in terms of familiarity.

That left me to stare out the window and mentally review the last few days.

I had honestly expected the Undertaker to confront me the night we came back from the meeting, but alas, he simply acted as though nothing had changed. Of course, added with the fact that we had this odd cold shoulder of sorts. Just because we ignored each other didn't mean we outright neglected the other. We lived under the _same roof_ , for God's sake.

The only time we actually conversed was if we needed something. "Did you get the paperwork finished?" "Where do you keep the thread?" "Have you finished preparing the guest for their funeral?"

Weird stuff like that. I shifted in my seat. Needless to say, it was mighty uncomfortable in that shop. The once present relaxing atmosphere was now a tense vacuum, just relentlessly sucking out all the comfort. It left me on edge (yeah, edgy joke, great job).

Why hadn't Undertaker said anything yet? Was he seeing how long I'd make it last? Didn't that make him just as immature as me?

I scoffed. To even think of him as mature is a joke in and of itself. There's no such thing as adult there unless you counted me.

My eyebrow twitched. But _as I was saying_ , this whole mess started because of him. Whether if it was something I said that triggered it didn't matter. It was a dick move through and through.

I discreetly glanced back at them to find him smiling in an easygoing manner as he bantered with the Earl. I huffed through my nose before looking back at the window. I didn't care if he was putting up an act or not. The fact that he was pretending like nothing was wrong only pissed me off even more.

Today was definitely not my day.

…

The twins seemed to instinctively know that something was off. At least, concerning me. Whether if they thought it was me or something concerned with me, I don't know, but it was obvious that I was hard to approach in the mood I was in. Ciel seemed more wary with his approach and bocchan was even more hesitant to even sit with me. Of course, this only aggravated me even more and shortened my patience, leading to me concluding both lessons shortly. Them running out the room only proved my theory.

And now, I was currently sitting on the piano bench, rubbing my temple as I tried to come up with ways to apologize for my sour mood. I heard booted heels approach the piano - meaning he managed to sneak in when I wasn't paying attention - and I thought he'd end this useless charade only to add more fuel to the fire.

"So, you managed to terrorize the twins as well, neh~?"

I stilled, my one hand frozen at my temple. My eyes darted up, seething from under my lashes as I acknowledged him. He was standing there with a smirk, poorly hidden by a sleeve which was intentionally aimed at me.

So he was the type to kick someone while their down, eh?

 _Fucking retarded assholish piece of shit._

If my glare didn't relay the words I'd mentally assaulted him with, then I'm sure me sidestepping him to exit the music room did.

At this point, I wanted _nothing_ to do with him.

Somehow, I managed to find myself in the library, attempting to find _something_ to calm the raging tempest in my chest. My heart was thrashing in its cage, and I absolutely hated that I couldn't calm it down much less control it. Being unable to temper my emotions already made me vulnerable, and we both knew that. But _still_. The fact that he knew and didn't hold back meant he was fucking _toying_ with me. Damn that asshole!

I shoved a book back in its place when the cover didn't even seem appealing enough to read before pulling out another one. I attempted to calm down again, rubbing the heel of my hand against my chest to soothe myself, but it only reminded me of how mad I was.

How is it that one careless remark from my boss could piss me off that much? He doesn't even have permission to affect me emotionally.

I took a seat at the bench and tried reading the book I pulled out, not even bothering to read the cover. But after a while, I noticed myself reading the same sentence over and over without even comprehending it, so I gave up, resting my head in my hands. In the periphery of my senses, I noticed someone entering the library. The presence was most definitely headed towards me. I ended up resting my chin on my fist so I wouldn't look pathetic to whomever was looking for me.

 _Please, don't let it be Undertaker, please, don't let it be Undertaker, please-_

To my utter relief, it was Vincent who rounded the corner. "Ah! Just my luck! Glad to see you here, Miss Rose."

"Wish I could the same," I retorted before I could contain myself. Whoops.

The amused arch of an eyebrow and a smile was all I got. Thankfully, he wasn't as fragile as some other noblemen would be. "Well, I'm sure it has to do with the Undertaker, no?"

I sealed my lips to spare him my sarcasm, but I'm sure my bland stare got my point across to his seemingly oblivious comment.

"Well, Diedrich certainly wasn't lying." He crossed his leg, a small smile on his face.

I lifted an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"When he commented on your ability to make quite frightening expressions in the state you're in."

What a polite way of saying I look threatening. I only blinked at him before grabbing my book and trying to look busy. "Look, I appreciate you trying to make me feel better, but I'd like nothing better than to be alone right now."

He lifted an eyebrow in amusement before closing his eyes and opening them with a determined gleam in his eye. "Well now, if that were the case, I would be more than happy to leave it to you two. Unfortunately, this case requires cooperation from the both of you, and I would like for you both to make up as soon as possible."

I narrowed my eyes at him, not liking how he made me felt akin to a child being berated by their parent. I snapped the book shut. "I thought this case pertained only to me?"

He gave me his biggest shit-eating smile. "In this case, Her Majesty had a special assignment for you in mind, to test how well you mingle with English high-born society."

The vein in my temple started throbbing a bit. Couldn't he just get to the point? "Right, so then, what does this entail?"

He smirked. "You will act as a diversion. The setting will take place at a ball a week from now, and by then, it's expected you know the proper mannerisms and decorum of an English noblewoman. You will be our bait, so to speak, and Undertaker will accompany you."

"So, basically, I'm the sitting duck and you go in for the kill for the predator supposedly aiming for me."

He beamed. "Precisely."

I deadpanned. What kind of bullshit was this, honestly? "So, what am I to expect in the next few days?"

He grinned, making a chill go down my spine. "Why, I'm glad you asked! As it stands, both you and the Undertaker will be temporary guests at my manor so that we can thoroughly train you on the upbringings of a noblewoman. Madame Red, of course, will assist, and I already have some dresses prepared underway for you."

How overwhelming! My brain could only think of one thing. "What about Zero?"

"Ah, Her Majesty will decide on a later matter. For now, it's best you patch up with Undertaker tonight, for on Monday, the real work begins."

I withheld a sigh. "Of course, thanks, Earl."

"The pleasure is mine."

…

 _Evening_  
I sat at my desk, arms crossed. I still wasn't ready to face Undertaker. He, however, was, with the way his presence made itself known in the form of his aura pressing on me.

I wonder if he realizes that him pressuring me made me less willing to comply. That would definitely be well-received.

Unfortunately, with the the way the situation would look like for the upcoming week, we'd be spending even more time together. I could only wonder how intense this training would be.

Undertaker's presence suddenly muted.

I snapped my head to locate where he'd usually be - which was his desk - only to find him sitting at mine as if he'd been there waiting for me to notice.

My heartbeat crept to my throat. _I am definitely not ready for this._

He sat there with a patient smile, one sole eye focused on me.

Even through my fear, I could feel the anger creeping up. _The damned bastard was playing me!_

I went back to looking straight again, actively ignoring him. I wasn't interested in his games nor would I entertain them. There were better things to do.

That being said, the ball would take place next week. Vincent already had the materials prepared, all that was left was revising my mannerisms. Honestly, how hard could that be?

 _Famous last words_ , I dryly thought.

"So, for how long will we continue this game~?"

My brow twitched against my will. _Still ignoring you, dumbass._

"I expect an answer, dear~"

"Oh, I'm sure you do."

He was smirking at me, leaning his chin against a hand which was resting an elbow on my desk.

 _My God, has he no concept of personal space._

"Personally, I think this could be eeeeasily rectified~" I heard him snap a bone cookie between his teeth, as if exemplifying the break in the tense atmosphere.

I snorted. "Sure."

"If you admit you were lying when you said you didn't miss me~"

"Hah! _That's_ what you're so hung up over?" If it weren't for how outrageously simple his request was, I probably would've lost my cool. "So is that to explain your childish behavior at that stupid meeting a few days ago?"

I looked back to find him leering at me none-too-friendly and felt the remains of what was stomach drop. _Oh dear._

My heartbeat picked up tempo but I stared back, too proud to back down. Both of his eyes were gleaming with intensity, but he wasn't mad. I can't explain why, but I just knew he wasn't. Maybe he was trying to prove who was alpha, and me shutting up probably did just that.

" _What?!_ " I accidentally said a tad too loud after the silence lasted for too long.

"… Hm~ Methinks you deserve a good spanking~"

White hot anger flashed inside my chest. "Go fuck yourself!" I snapped.

His grin widened and his hand snatched to grab my chin so it would be pulled closer to him, but I slapped it away on instinct.

"Don't touch me."

He ignored it, grabbing my wrist instead to pull me closer and also use as a hostage if the tightening of his hold was any indication. He smirked coldly. "Now, I've been rather lenient with your behavior for the last couple of days~ but it ends now."

I only seethed silently at him as he contemplated. He knew he couldn't threaten to throw me out because he knew I would walk out on my own with or without his permission which left me wondering what he could threaten me with.

Yet, while this had gone on, I hadn't noticed how my anger seemed to affect our surroundings. Meaning, the natural darkness of the shop such as natural shadows made from the light seemed to have a miasma of its own, a weight that dragged the atmosphere. My powers that were deeply linked to my emotions wasn't made aware to me until something bad already happened.

Fortunately, Undertaker chose to say something about it than wait.

"Dearie~ Might wanna cool your top~ Before something in my shop goes _pop_!~" He was still smirking at me, enjoying my current state of array.

I was so incredibly tempted to just let it happen, and he could tell from the narrowing of my eyes, but the incremental increase of pressure on my wrist and his every-growing grin made me think otherwise. While it would give me some temporary satisfaction to completely obliterate his home in a mass of darkness, it would only leave me with an incredibly pissed off ex-reaper and a homeless me.

Not trusting him completely to let my guard down, I took a moment to gather my composure, taking a deep breath, before willing the darkness to lighten up, making the shadows of the shop less dense and imposing. Not that it bothered him in the first place because I'm pretty sure I would've popped first if he had his way. Or not. Who knows at this point?

Having gained some form of composure, I found that he'd let up on his grip but still ensured that I wouldn't run away. I decided to try being polite.

"Would you mind letting this go, now?" I shook the wrist in his grasp but he only chuckled.

"Now now, although you've behaved yourself~ It doesn't excuse your demeanor for the past few days," he reminded me in a berating tone.

My eyebrow twitched, a signal of my ever-diminishing patience with his bullshit. "Excuse you, but wasn't it you who initiated this behavior?"

He smirked, as if acknowledging a fault. "Ah yes, for your little _lie_ back when I asked if you missed me or not~"

He's still insulted about that, I realized. My brows furrowed. Was he disappointed?

"Why in the world does that matter so much to you?"

"That's not the point here, love~"

"I would think-"

"Now now, answer my question~" He interrupted. "Truly, did you miss me or not?"

He had that face on, a mask that was like a poker face and yet not. I knew what he wanted yet I couldn't read exactly what he wanted.

But, this question, I felt, was the precipice I stood on, and how I answered would determine whether we would be permanently estranged or closer than before, and neither one was comfortable to me… At least, in the case that I'm not ready for either.

But, that unwavering stare told me he wouldn't let me leave until I gave him an answer.

I sighed. "I did…"

"'Did' what?" He tilted his head.

 _God_ , why did he make this so complicated?!

"… I think, I may have felt that I missed you."

"When?"

Well, isn't someone an eager beaver? But, that too eager smile and wide smile - plus the fact he's invading my personal space - told me just how invested he was in my response.

What exactly does he want from me?

"The second day you were gone, if I'm not mistaken."

He hummed, his thumb on my wrist lightly caressing my skin as though pleased at some form of progress. "And how did that feel?"

I deadpanned, starting to feel like I was at a doctor's office than a morgue being interrogated by my boss.

"Uh, lonely? I dunno, it was there and gone before I could really dwell on it."

He frowned a bit but didn't say anything for a while. Then, he tugged on my arm suddenly, bringing me into his chest and hugging me.

I had no time to react, leaving me in an awkward position of using my arms to push against his chest so my face wasn't smushed against said body part. I looked up, annoyed, to find him grinning down at me.

" _What_?"

He giggled. "Oh nothing, just that you look so cute~"

My face blanked. _Cute? Is this guy for real?_

I shook my head. "That's not what I'm asking. I meant, what's this supposed to mean? The sudden hugging and all?" I tried wriggling my arms to make a point.

His smile widened, amused at my attempt. "Ah, that~ Well, simply my way of defusing the situation~… and to apologize~"

My eyebrow rose, meeting with his one solitary eye again.

He grinned ruefully. "For scorning you at that meeting a few days ago~" He said that as though it were obvious.

"Uh-huh. Well, a sorry would've sufficed. You don't need to do all this."

He wagged his finger playfully. "Now now, I'm not only doing this for you, but me as well~ Plus, I still want a smile~"

"Now you're asking for too much."

"Oh, am I?~ Would you rather I ask for _six_ days worth of jokes~" He smirked knowingly at me.

"Hmph, still, you can't just command someone to smile."

"Well, now, that's not my problem, now, is it~" He taunted.

I sighed, exasperated. Whatever higher power on Earth decided to make me work for this guy ought to spend a day with him themselves.

While I thought of a way to make myself smile, odd as that was, I couldn't help but notice him still hugging me, arms around my midsection and his chin resting comfortably on my shoulder. And by comfortable, I meant for him, not me.

Don't _you_ be getting any ideas.

Either way, it made me wonder if he was trying to get me comfortable with him. Not that it didn't work, because it wasn't as awkward hugging him. Not like the first time, of course. I shivered, remembering that face.

"Are you cold, dear~" His arms tightened a bit.

"No, just thinking."

He hummed.

At least he was patient about me coming up with an idea.

"By the way, why do you like hugging so much? Are you that lonely?"

"Hey now~ What are you trying to impose?" He pouted, as if offended at the notion of being lonely.

"You're pretty touchy."

"Am not~"

I gave him a glare as best I could in the position I was in.

He snickered. "Oh, come now, if I were that lonely, I'd want more than just a hug~"

I felt my face go green and decided not to overthink what he meant by that.

"After all, you looked like you needed a hug~"

My brow raise on its own accord at the incredulousness of that comment. "I looked like I needed a hug?"

"Hi hi~ yes, you looked like you needed a hug."

The corner of my eye twitched, but I gave up anyways, not interested in pursuing the matter further.

I tried thinking up ways to make myself smile, I really did. Things like jokes, funny stories Zero told me, or even a memory. But no, nothing came up.

I sighed, just about to give up when I thought of something, that forbidden something I hadn't allowed myself to indulge in for years.

I groaned. "Oh no, not that…"

Undertaker suddenly perked. "Hm~ What? Whatever's the matter, dear? Finally thought of something~" A hand squeezed my shoulder to tell me I had his full attention.

"Yeah, but not in the way I imagined it…" I rubbed the bridge of my nose, trying to deny the obvious truth but gave in. Hell, so long as it gave Undertaker what he wanted, then I had nothing to lose. Probably.

I pushed his arm a bit. "You'll have to give me a moment to set up. You'll get your smile, but it's gonna take a little while."

He tilted his head, curious but let go to observe me taking out a larger device that I called a computer and turn it on before beginning to set up.

Yes, it was what I had least anticipated to happen again in the future. My fall back into my old habit: horror games.

A bit cringy? Yeah, I can imagine, but if it gets the job done, then I can't complain. Once the PC booted up, I opened my steam account to all the horror games I had archived since three years ago when I last played.

Only one of them seemed interesting enough to play.

"Hey, how do you feel about horror games?" I didn't face him yet, still busy with having the game load before the menu popped onto the screen, the theme music filling in the silence.

"Horror games, ne~ Interesting, hi hi! A rather unorthodox maneuver, but you have my undivided attention~"

"Hm, and what about horror games involving a mental asylum?"

He grinned. "All the better~ Your pick, m'dear," was all he supplied as he moved closer to peer over my shoulder. Probably to also have a better view of my face.

"Hmm, ok then. I'm gonna go with Normal difficulty however. It's been about three years since I last played."

He giggled but didn't say anything else as the loading screen gave a brief description of the game before the opening scene featuring our main character in the Jeep, driving up to the mansion and pulling over.

I exhaled, "ok, getting fucking excited, and you can tell cuz I'm already cursing."

The character opened up a folder of the email which I skimmed over before closing to load the battery in the camcorder.

"Hey~ I still can't see very well, dear~"

"Do you need me to explain it for you?"

He tilted his head, thinking about it before shrugging. "Just make it brief, that oughta do the job~"

"Okay, well, basically, a person who works within the asylum leaks out serious information to an investigative journalist whom we're playing known as Miles Upshur. The whistleblower, who'll we get to play as in the DLC, briefly talks about patients getting abused over a procedure known as dream therapy while the company, Murkoff, makes profit out of it. Our job, in other words, is to expose the maltreatment. However, in this game, we can't fight back against enemies so we'll have to either run, hide, or die."

He hummed, now fully resting his chin on my shoulder, again. Then his arms tried snaking around my stomach.

"Whoa! Hey, what are you doing?" I slapped his arms away, but instead, he placed his hand behind me, flat on the coffin. The other rested on his lap.

"It was just in case you needed some comfort~ Besides, I can't see from too far away…"

I sighed. "Fine, but get too touchy, and I'll smack you."

He snickered. "Deal~"

I rolled my eyes but continued on, trying to ignore his constant shifting until he relaxed, his chin digging further into my shoulder. I already knew it would be sore once I was done playing.

"By the way, this game is pretty long, around 3-4 hours, so we'll probably finish around 1 am?"

He giggled, the vibrations in his chest humming against my arm. "That's alright~ Besides, we have loooots of time~"

I eyed the clock. 8pm. Hm, we have time. "Great." I sighed, making the character get out of the car before running towards the asylum and through the side gate, crouching to get past the gate before scaling up the scaffolding and through the window. "Alright, we're in." And on cue, the ceiling lights busted, leaving us in darkness and prompting me to use night vision.

"By the way, you mentioned enemies~ What kinds will you be facing?"

"Hm, you'll see."

"You seem quite familiar with the game. Have you played this before?~"

"Yeah, three years ago, or just about."

"Oh? Why play it again?~"

"Just to get a feel for it, and because it's a pretty good game. Plus, it's kind of a warm up for the DLC and the sequel since Outlast is quite renowned for jump scares and intimidating players with its fast pacing. You'll see as we keep playing."

"Very well. My life is in your hands~" He giggled.

"Sure." Dubious, but no matter. With him quiet, I navigated the dark room, the sudden static of the TV alerting me, but not enough to scare me. "That's one example of a jump scare. There's another coming up far worse than that though, but it's still gonna scare me. Probably."

With that in mind, I shimmied past the cabinet drawers blocking the path, entering various rooms to either gather a glowing battery or a confidential folder before seeing a door close suddenly on my left. "Subtle," I muttered, but I pressed onwards, entering the door on my left, scanning the room and seeing the organ on a tray next to a soda can before grabbing the second battery and jumping up into the vent.

"Hihihi, someone forgot their lunch~"

"Yeah, probably yours." He pouted indignantly, but I half-smirked, saying nothing more. When I got halfway towards the vent to the section with the slitted view, the sudden entrance of someone grabbed my attention, both of us watching as the patient muttered "Walrider" before running out, slamming the door.

"Was that the jump scare?~" He asked.

I shook my head. "Not yet."

I continued to the end of the vent, hopping out before walking towards the dreaded door. "Okay…"

I slowly opened the door, taking a sharp inhale as the flailing image of a body hanging sort of scared me, his screaming making me stiffen a bit, but then it was over. "Ah, that wasn't so bad."

Famous last words.

As I walked backwards, turning on light vision to further inspect the headless body, the sudden gasping of the soldier impaled on a wooden stake made me curse.

"Oh, shit!" I facepalmed, barking out a laugh before grinning at the monitor. "I forgot, goddamnit."

 _"They killed us. They got out. The Variants."_

"Uh-huh, fascinating. Tell me more."

 _"You can't fight them. You have to hide."_

"Obviously. Tell me something I don't know." I muttered under my breath, however, "Not like you could anyway."

 _"… Can unlock the main doors from Security Control."_

"Oh great. Finally, something useful."

 _"You have to get the fuck out of this terrible place."_

I nodded my head. "Oh yeah, definitely. Why don't you just stick around, or you can leave if you want, or…" I looked back at him to see him go limp on the stake and then shrugged. "Yeah, just stick around."

The sudden banging of a door forced me to start moving away although I could hear Undertaker chuckling at my dry humor. I ignored him, going out the next door and and seeing Chris Walker approaching through the hallway glass and immediately crouched.

"That, right there, is one of the big enemies to watch for. Ooh, that was so close."

I waited for him to walk by before continuing down the hallway.

"One of the enemies, you say?~" Undertaker queried, a nail poking my shoulder. "What is he capable of?"

"Well, basically, considering he's pretty big, super human strength-"

 _"Little pig."_

"- Ah, _S_ _cheiße_!" I had begun to shimmy through the narrow space between the cabinets, distracted from his questions that I'd forgotten about the Fat Guy.

I slapped a hand over my mouth, watching as he lifted me before flinging me out the window, jerking back on reflex and Undertaker's arm tightened on reflex. Then my character blacked out.

I giggled a bit, embarrassed, before slapping Undertaker's shoulder. "Stop distracting me, goddamnit! I forgot about that one!" I was still laughing, hyped from the jump scare and he just grinned back.

"Hihihihi! That was the whole point, dear~ No point in playing if there's no reaction~"

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, shut up. You think you know everything."

He cackled. "Oh, come now, dear~ Not even I am that presumptuous!"

"Sure."

"You are welcome to stop here for now, if you'd like~ You've reimbursed me quite enough for the last week as well as this week's."

I arched an eyebrow as he patted my shoulder. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He grinned. "Well, I did simply ask for a smile, but your laugh was quite the unexpected treat~"

I blanked. _I laughed?_

Oh. That. I forgot I became a giggly bitch whenever I get scared.

"Oh. Then what about the game? Did you want to stop here or finish it later?"

"Hihihi, whatever tickles your fancy, my dear~ Tomorrow's Sunday, so we are completely free~"

I blinked. It had only been about half an hour, so we still had time to finish the game. I looked back at the monitor and then shrugged. "I'll just finish it today, or tonight, rather. It's not that long. Tomorrow, we could invite Zero to come here as well to play the DLC portion. He's been wanting to check it out, so might as well."

He giggled. "Very well~" Then he did something I didn't expect.

He grabbed my chin and planted a chaste kiss on my forehead.

I immediately froze before staring scathingly at him. " _What was that for_?"

I tried pushing his chest back but he didn't budge. "It's my apology for how I treated you… As well as to thank you for the generous payment~" His eyes were exposed, gentle compared to my hard look.

My forehead was still tingling and I wanted to assume the worst, that maybe he was falling in love with me, and I couldn't allow that. Yet, his reasoning was also understandable.

I sighed, uncomfortable. "Sure, I guess. And… I'm sorry, too, for my behavior…" I still felt like crap when I thought about it.

God, this was so awkward.

He patted my back, giggling lightly. He was back to the creepy mortician act. "Quite alright, dear~ Now, I do believe we have a game to finish~"

12/31/19


End file.
